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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23765842">The Hunt</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/LordChaldea/pseuds/LordChaldea'>LordChaldea</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Bloodborne (Video Game), Fate/Zero, Fate/stay night &amp; Related Fandoms</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Other</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 18:13:47</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>71,555</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23765842</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/LordChaldea/pseuds/LordChaldea</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Seek Paleblood to Transcend the Hunt.</p><p>What if Caster Gilles de Rais was never summoned in the 4th Holy Grail War? What if another servant answered the call to participate in the war? This was now no longer a Holy Grail War that the 3 Founding Families had originally created.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>197</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Are you my master?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was a silent night in the city of Fuyuki. Most citizens were asleep as they awaited morning. However,  </p><p>For Ryunosuke Uryu </p><p>It was the prime time to go on his nightly murders. </p><p>Breaking into the home of some random family that just happened to leave their front gate open. From there it was just the trivial matter of lockpicking their door and sneaking in. There was nothing special about this family. It comprised of a father who had normal office job with a wife that stayed home and a child, a typical Japanese family here.  </p><p>Typical enough that no-one would miss them. </p><p>The look of despair that flashed across the father’s face as he woke up to a knife buried in his chest was pure gold to Ryunosuke. The father tried to desperately fight for his life but Ryunosuke was quick enough to grab the knife and slit his throat, killing him immediately. The commotion woke up his wife as well but she met a similar fate as the knife was then lodged into her head, killing her instantly as well. </p><p>Gazing at the dead corpses, Ryunosuke wished that he had more time to ‘enjoy’ their time together. Maybe torture one while the others looked, maybe have one decide which one got to live while he killed the other. Oh well his dark fantasies could be played out on another unsuspecting family another day. Pulling out a book he couldn’t help but grin at the prospect of what tonight was going to bring. He had done some cleaning up and found a book that his ancestors had kept. Curious he decided to read through what his ancestors deemed worthy of writing down. </p><p>Imagine to his surprise it was a grimoire for summoning demons. </p><p>He had never summoned a demon before, but tonight was the night he’d get to see an envoy of sin in the flesh. He hoped that it would be a terrifying abomination or maybe a demonic snake that consumed humans in a horrific way, wouldn’t that be a fun one. Hearing a door open put his thoughts on hold as he looked out of the door, across the hallway. The kid’s door had opened up as the kid seemingly wanted to grab a midnight snack before retiring back to his room, oblivious to the death of his parents. Grinning manically Ryunosuke silently followed the unsuspecting boy down the stairs. </p><p>This boy was about to soon be reunited with his parents. </p><p>“Now what do I do next?” After following the boy down to the kitchen, Ryunosuke quickly knocked the kid out, before tying him up and throwing him into a closet. The grimoire specifically said that only a child would be able to appease a demon, rather specific but who was he to question the specifics. Making sure that the kid was still breathing he closed the closet and addressed the empty living room. He had also dragged down the corpses of the parents down because their blood would serve as the catalyst for the ritual. Looking down at the book he noted that he would have to draw a complex ritual circle that called forth the demon. </p><p>Now he wasn’t the best artist in the world but he did happen to have a high amount of drawing material on standby. Looking back at the dead corpses of the parents he could feel his excitement soaring. </p><p>Now it was time to summon a demon.</p><hr/><p>Dropping the struggling kid down on the floor with a thud, he proudly looked at his masterpiece. It took some time but having so much blood that the parents kindly donated for his ritual, he was able to create the ritual circle. Hearing the kid struggling in his captivity he looked down with a maniacal smile. “Hey isn’t this great!” Enjoying the horror of the kid struggling to free himself Ryunosuke continued with his diabolical plan. “So, I found this book in the warehouse. Apparently, it was my ancestors trying to summon a demon,” Pulling out the book he showed the kid what was going to await him. </p><p>“Now I’m curious to see if demons really do exist however,” Looking down he made sure that the kid was only looking at him. “It’d be pretty stupid if a demon did appear and all we did was chat and not offer it anything to eat so...,” Holding his hand in a mock sign of charity. </p><p>“Mind if we let it eat you?” </p><p>The kid proceeded to absolutely lose it as it became apparent, he was going to be the dinner of some eldritch being. Laughing at the struggle of the kid Ryunosuke looked back at the ritual circle. Now all that was time to do was chant the summoning. </p><p>“It’s going to be great seeing how demon eats a child, now I just got to find the page with the summoning,” Flipping across the pages he tried to find the appropriate page before he dropped it as his hand felt like it was on fire. Looking down he could see a faint red tattoo begin manifesting on his hand. After it finished it looked like an outstretched beast claw symbol. Having no idea how the hell it appeared Ryunosuke could only remain dumbfounded as the ritual circle glowed with ethereal light, smoke billowing out of it. </p><p>All he could do was stare as a figure seemingly manifested them self, right before his eyes </p><p>“Servant Caster.” What came out of the mysterious figure's mouth was the kind of voice that he’d expect from a king or nobleman, not a demon. It held such a rich and powerful authoritarian edge to it that he couldn’t help but stare at the figure and note two things. One he didn’t look like a demon, more like beggar judging from the rag-like clothes he wore with his cap and mask, and that two the fact that while he didn’t convey the look of a demon, he certainty exuded an aura of one. It felt like he was an ant in the presence of a god. </p><p>“Are you my master?” </p><p>Not knowing how to respond Ryunosuke just introduced himself instead. “Um name’s Ryunosuke Uryu.”Not getting a response from the man he just continued onward. “I’m currently unemployed, and I like killing people, pretty mu...,” His introduction was cut short as Caster walked forward with surprising speed towards him. He couldn’t even question Caster as a hand found its way to his neck with a grip that he couldn’t escape from. Forced to look at Caster, he felt his heart rate shoot up as he looked straight into his eyes. It was like gazing into a mini-galaxy that he could feel himself begin to go mad from the exposure. Fast as he found himself near to madness he was quickly released as Caster re-orientated himself. </p><p>“Forgive me but I just had to confirm something, however it still stands. I am your servant for this Holy Grail War, use me as you wish” </p><p>Holy Grail War? Just as Ryunosuke was about to ask what the he meant by Holy Grail War, the kid renewed his struggling, He was a normal child, and went with his family to church every Sunday. He didn’t believe demons existed but seeing one be summoned right before his eyes made him try anything to not die to whatever eldritch being was in his house. Laughing at the kid’s attempt to survive he looked back at Caster. “Hey so wanna eat the kid?” Now being the source of attention, the kid could only look up at the duo, begging for his life through his gag. </p><p>Caster looked at the kid before deciding to approach the struggling kid. Every step he took made the kid struggle against his bonds more, till the point he was basically thrashing around by the time Caster was in front of him.  Kneeling down Caster looked the kid dead in the eye, gazing at his soul through his terrified eyes. </p><p>“Forgive me master but I am not the demon that you wished to see; I am just a regular human.” Standing up he addressed his master with an apologetic look through his mask and cap. “However, I just happen to be a summoner of the demons you’re looking for.” Reaching into his coat, he pulled out a rather plain looking whistle for his master to take.  </p><p>Grinning wildly at what Caster just offered him, Ryunosuke took the whistle from his hand and held it above him to admire the whistle beneath the ceiling light, unknowing of its true purpose. Was this really a tool to summon a demon? Blowing hard on it and letting the tune echo across the living room, he waited for his majestic demon to appear. </p><p>“Forgive me master but there should be one thing you should know,” Looking back at Caster Ryunosuke was confused as Caster performed an elegant bow for him. “Never make a deal with a demon.” Tipping his hat in forgiveness he motioned for him to look at his feet. </p><p>Looking down he saw himself in the mouth of a giant snake demon ready to devour him.  </p><p>“Huh” Was all he said before the jaws shut tight around him. </p><hr/><p>From the top of a nearby building Caster looked down as a squad of cops came rushing into the house. He had called them about a potential killer inside the house before vacating the scene. He let out a little sigh of relief as a police officer emerged from the household with the child in his arms, who was currently unconscious, and shouting for medical attention. He did not require Ryunosuke as a source of mana as he had other ways to sustain himself so he was not worried on being able to exist in this Holy Grail War. </p><p>However. </p><p>It seems that he was summoned a month too early for the Holy Grail War. </p><p>Expanding his senses, he could tell that no other magus family had even attempted to summon their servant yet, even the 3 Founding Families had yet to make any preparations for the war. The Einzberns were not even present in the city, only a skeleton crew operating their castle in the woods, the Tohsakas were present but were waiting for the beginning night of the Holy Grail to begin their plan, and the Matous didn’t even have a candidate that could participate in the upcoming war.  </p><p>Being summoned in this modern era granted Caster some knowledge of the present but his ‘special status’ granted him an even greater plethora of knowledge than the average servant might jope gain. Let it be known at his disgust at what the Holy Grail War meant. </p><p>A shortcut to power. </p><p>If one wishes to ascend to something even greater than it should be through your own merit, not because of some omnipotent wish device. The 3 founding families and their desire to reach the Root reminded him of the Healing Church and their desire to ascend above humanity. He felt his stomach curl at the countless atrocities they committed in the name of ascending and what had their efforts brought them?  </p><p>“Milord, I’m here to report.” </p><p>Breaking out of his internal monologue, Caster turned back to one of his faithful servants. Kneeling reverently and waiting for his next command was the Bloody Crow of Cainhurst. He was once a revered knight enlisted to the cause of Queen Analise of the Vilebloods. The signature Cainhurst helmet signified his allegiance but his garb made him special. Donned in the feathery cape of the Crowfeather set, hunters who hunted wayward hunters than the beasts, he was the perfect weapon to take up arms against the Church and their hunters, who were enemies to Cainhurst Castle. </p><p>“Report my Bloody Crow.” </p><p>“At once milord.” Standing from his kneeling position, he gave Caster his findings. “We have scouted the entire city to see if any indication of your summoning was evident. All magus families show no reaction to your arrival and it seems their defenses are unable to detect us unless we step foot in their territories.”  </p><p>“Hmm very good, it seems that we can begin to prepare for this Holy Grail.” </p><p>“A question for milord, if he deems it worthy.” </p><p>“Oh?” </p><p>“You are of the highest, the king of all gods. What use do you have for a fake wishing device when you all the power to yourself.” </p><p>“Tell me my knight, do you know what ill-gained power leads to?” </p><p>“Chaos milord.” </p><p>“Exactly.” Throwing up his arms Caster gazed up at the moon. “If power is ill-gained than it shall wreak havoc on everyone, regardless of who they are. Those fools in the Healing Church never cared about the consequences but just on the damm hopes of being a Great One. And where did it lead us! A city that turned on itself, no one knowing who was a beast or not. The countless grievances to the Fishing Hamlet that they defiled for the corpse of a washed-up Great One that cursed others to an endless nightmare. Real power must be gained and only through adversity can one make their dreams reality. I shall create a hunt so difficult that even the mightiest heroes will be hard-pressed to survive in it and only the one that comes out on top should be deserving of the grail.” Not even realizing that he begun to shout out his speech, he took several deep breaths of air. </p><p>“Inspirational as always milord.” It seemed that in his speech that the other Cainhurst Knights had arrived and were patiently waiting for their next instructions. Unlike the Bloody Crow they had the full Cainhurst knight armor on and were considered the little underlings to the Bloody Crow.  As the result of his hunt, Caster’s ascension to Godhood allowed him to summon various hunter groups that he had encountered in his hunt to heed his commands and it was only the Cainhurst Knights that he trusted to scout out the city. However, he would soon call others to the hunt when the Grail War finally began. </p><p>“Only the worthiest shall past this trial and we shall be the ones to determine that.” Even if his facial expressions were covered by a mask, his knights could feel the zeal that he was exhibiting, to judge 6 other heroes in which one was the worthiest. “The time to prepare is now, go my faithful knights and prepare this city to be the staging grounds of the grandest Holy Grail War to ever take place.” </p><p>Having received their instructions, the Cainhurst Knights all bowed before leaving to various parts of the city. They needed to cover much ground and secure optimal sites for the ritual to take place. Their majesty’s trust in them would not be let down. </p><p>“So, it begins.” Vanishing into his spiritual form, Caster had much to prepare for the ritual. Many factors had to be addressed for this ritual to succeed and all had to be done without alerting any magus family to their plan However, no hurdle was too great if one was a Great One.  </p><p>If any magus decided to pop their head out of their workshops for a single moment then they would’ve been warned of their fate that awaited them in the next month.</p><p>For the once vibrant full moon had become a blood soaked moon for an instant before reverting back to its regular innocent vibrancy.  </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Let The Pieces Fall Where They May</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The 6 other masters of the 4th Holy Grail War unknowingly set in motion the biggest Hunt to ever occur.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Look at that Saber! What a nice shop this is!” Irisviel Von Einzbern had lived her entire life in complete isolation.  Created to serve as the vessel of the Holy Grail, she had no need to see the outside world or its pleasures, only to serve as a homunculus. It was in Kiritsugu that she found how herself in and now having been able to participate in the Holy Grail War had allowed her to experience all the wonders that Kiritsugu had told her about of the outside world. </p><p>Trailing not too far behind was Saber, or rather Artoria Pendragon, King of Knights. Having been summoned as a Saber, Artoria held none of the enthusiasm as Irsiviel did. Being a servant, she was granted knowledge of the current era she was in and as such technological marvels that would’ve never existed in her era was met with a shrug. Looking toward the unbound happiness of Irisviel, her mood put a small smile on her face. While being summoned to battle other servants, she could not deny the fact that Irisviel needed this. “Hurry Saber, I think I see an ice-cream shop over there.” Without skipping a beat, an enthusiastic Irisviel turned the corner. </p><p>Not sensing any danger in the area, Saber allowed her to have her fun. Until a loud thud could be heard from the corner that Irisviel had just ran through. Feeling dread creep up her spine, she pushed a bit of magic into her legs. While she could not show magic in the open, she could manipulate enough of it to make it not seem suspicious but able to get her to Irisviel. Turning the corner with speed that an Olympian could only achieve; Saber was ready to beat down the fiend attacking her master. </p><p>“Oh, I’m so sorry! I wasn’t looking where I was working.” </p><p>“No if anything it was me that wasn’t looking.” </p><p>Putting Saber’s fears to rest, it would appear that Irisviel had just collided into someone without looking, sending her to the ground. The stranger that she collided into had also fallen to the ground but recovered faster than she did. Dusting off her pants the newcomer offered her hand out for Irisviel to take. Taking the hand to hoist herself up, Irisviel noticed the stranger’s features. </p><p>If anything, the stranger seemed to be an exact carbon copy of her, minus the red eyes that was replaced with blue eyes. Having almost the same doll face structure and hair style, it was safe to say that Irisviel had met her sister. Another thing she noted was the tone of her voice. It was as soft-spoken as Saber’s but also carried the same authority that Saber also possessed as a king. </p><p>“Oh, where are my manners.” Smiling softly at the master and servant the stranger revealed herself to them. </p><p>“I am Maria.” Maria held out a hand to shake to which Irisviel shook. </p><p>“Pleasure to meet you.” </p><p>And thus, the first piece was set </p><hr/><p> “Rid- Alexander! You can’t do that!” In another part of Fuyuki City was a different pair of master and servant. Waver Velvet had expected many things from this Grail War. He had expected to summon a respectable servant who would follow his commands or at the very least one that he could work with to achieve victory. </p><p>However, none were as insufferable as the Rider servant he summoned! </p><p>“Huh? But the lady wished to see if these were real.” Waver’s servant was the definition of noticeable. Towering over most people in the city, bulging muscles that seemed to defy reality, and his different skin tone had the attention of any passing citizens. For this was the power of Iskander, King of Conquerers.  Iskander was the servant to welcome a fight rather than shy away for it. It was this mentality that was able garner his many loyal fighters that became inspired by his tenacity and joined his banner of conquest. </p><p>However, for Waver Velvet, anytime Rider spoke loudly made him want to crawl into a hole and die. </p><p>“I-Idiot! You can’t just go off and start showing off, what if an enemy servant happens to see you. Our cover would be blown!” </p><p>“Then wouldn't we in fact notice another servant within our vicinity? Unless they were Assassin then you would be able to pick up their magical signature would you not? Then we would know the identity of a servant in this Grail War.” </p><p>Waver could offer no response to the reasoning that Rider just gave him. He had to remember that Iskander was able to conquer most of the Macedonia not just through brute strength, but also flawless strategies as well. If only his flawless strategy carried over to his personality then Waver would have nothing to complain about. </p><p>“Oh? It's rare to see someone of your stature here, though I too should not be here as well.” A mysterious voice called out. </p><p>Fearing than an actual servant had found them, Waver whipped his head around to see the newcomer. Standing at almost the same height as Rider, the newcomer however did not possess the same energy that Iskander did. He did not possess the same bulging muscles but one could tell that he possessed an athletic body. He seemed to be around his late 40s-50s with a gray beard and hair that stooped short of the neckline. Scanning the stranger, Waver was unable to pick up any magical energy coming off of him. Just a regular human. </p><p>“Oh! It's rare to see someone of similar stature being around here.” Offering his hand for a handshake, Iskandar introduced himself. “I am Alexander!” </p><p>Taking his hand, the stranger introduced himself as well. “And I am Gascoigne.” Feeling the strength that Alexander was putting into the handshake, Gascoigne met the force with an equal amount to which Alexander laughed at the response. It seems that his first day being a servant had already found him a worthy ally in his upcoming conquest. </p><p>If only this pair realized that another puzzle to their troubles had been set as well. </p><hr/><p>“Daddy! Mommy! You’re here!” At the Fuyuki Elementary School, Rin Tohsaka had just gotten out of school. Unlike her peers the classes here were mundane and boring so it was no surprise that she was the top of her class. Usually she would wait around afterschool for Kirei to pick her up and then she would spend the rest of the day with her father in the workshop. She knew that the Holy Grail War was picking up soon and her father would no longer have any time to train her in magecraft. She wanted her father to win the War and have his wish granted so she held no hate for having their lessons cut. </p><p>It would seem that today she was lucky that both of her parents were there to pick her up before the first night of the Holy Grail War. </p><p>Barreling into her mother’s stomach and hugging her tightly, Rin looked up at her father, “Have you gotten your servant yet?” Chuckling, Tokiomi Tohsaka knelt down to ruffle his daughter’s hair to which he got an adorable pout out of. “Yes, daddy has summoned the greatest servant of all time, victory is assured for the Tohsaka family my dear.” While Archer was by no means a servant easy to work with. He was not known as Gilgamesh King of Heroes for a reason </p><p>“Oh, are these your parents young Rin?” A voice called out. </p><p>Face lighting up in delight Rin got out of her mother’s arms to wave at the speaker. Walking closer to them was her new substitute teacher that she liked. Her previous teacher had gotten seriously ill so a new one had to be called in for the class. When the new teacher walked in, she didn't think too much about him. He was in his mid 30s and had a slim form with disheveled gray hair. However, it was clear on the first day of instruction that he was anything but ordinary and plain. </p><p>His lessons were easy to understand and was very understanding of each student and how they learned. He even aside some time to tutor kids having trouble and was an instant favorite for the class. For her, he was someone that treated her like an adult. All of her teachers treated her like a kid even if she was very smart but he treated her with respect. Every class period he would have a set of problems, that a middle schooler would be expected to do, set aside for her when she finished her work before any else did and would praise her when she presented the completed work. Even when it came to some problems that she didn't understand he was always understanding and always teaching her what she was confused on. </p><p>Seeing the new teacher that her daughter praised so highly, Tokiomi offered him a handshake. “Yes, I am her father, Tokiomi Tohsaka.” </p><p>Taking the handshake, the teacher introduced himself. “I am Simon, at your service” </p><p>The third piece was set. </p><hr/><p>“Trouble in paradise miss?” Inside of the Fuyuki shopping mall Sola-Ui was lost on what dress to buy. While being the wife of Kayneth, Sola-Ui had vast amounts of wealth that any price wasn’t the problem but rather which one she could impress Lanc-Kayneth. Internally slapping herself Sola-Ui knew what she was doing wrong but could you blame her. She, and like most women in magus families, had their weddings arranged to often strengthen a family’s bloodline for a stronger aptitude for magecraft. Very little women had the option to marry out of love and those were between families that were better off. She would take any shots she could find to fire at her husband to voice out her displeasure. </p><p>However, Lancer, or Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, was her ideal lover. </p><p>She didn’t know if she was affected by his love spot, she cared not if that was the case, but Diarmuid was everything she wanted in a man. Handsome and the perfect gentlemen Sola-Ui wished that was what Kayneth was, if he was then maybe she wouldn’t hate her marriage. Instead, she got an overly arrogant coward who boasted about his abilities than actual using it. </p><p>Coming back to reality she addressed the concerned man, “Oh it’s nothing, I’m just in a bit of a tight spot right now. I can’t seem to find a dress that will impress my beloved.” </p><p>Agreeing with her current dilemma the man lamented his experience with buying clothes. “Tell me about it, my best friend would always come to me in dire need when his beloved’s birthday came around. “Oh, Henryk you have to help me!” Laughing at the now named Henryk’s experience Sola-Ui noted he certainly knew how to lighten the mood. These past days were spent in constant worry knowing that Lancer would be in harm’s way. </p><p>“You know if you need help, I think I could assist you,” Offered the kind man with a hand. While this may seem sketchy to people, a stranger assisting a woman, Sola-Ui was unable to detect any intentions of wrong doing from the man. Years spent in the Clocktower made her sharpen her intuition skills to detect any form of ill-intent from other magus wishing to use her for their own gain and Henryk possessed none of it. Also, she really wanted to impress Lancer with a dress. </p><p>Shaking his hand, Sola-Ui agreed to his help. </p><p>And so was the 4th piece set. </p><hr/><p> Kirei Kotomine was a man of cloth. He was raised by his father to be a pure man holding no inner desires whatsoever. Kirei had grown up to be what others considered the perfect man, considerate of the feelings of others. Rising up the ranks of the Church Kirei oversaw the Fuyuki Church alongside his father, Risei Kotomine. The Church also happened to be the overseer of the upcoming Holy Grail War, ensuring that the Holy Grail was confined to the 7 participants and did not affect the city and its citizens. </p><p>Walking into the church Kirei had expected it to be empty. After all it was a Tuesday and it was only on Sundays that people came to worship, so imagine to his surprise to see one person reverently praying in front of the statue of Christ. Not wishing to interrupt the man’s praying, Kirei slowly stalked towards the front. His years of being an Executioner for the Church had made him able to creep up to others without them noticing. In his stalking he was able to hear the man’s prayer. </p><p>"<em> Our thirst for blood satiates us, soothes our fears.  </em> </p><p><em> Seek the old blood, but beware the frailty of men.  </em> </p><p><em> Their wills are weak, minds young. </em> </p><p><em> The foul beasts will dangle nectar and lure the meek into the depths.  </em> </p><p><em> Remain wary of the frailty of men.  </em> </p><p><em> Their wills are weak, minds young.  </em> </p><p><em> Were it not for fear, death would go unlamented. </em> </p><p><em> Seek the old blood. Let us pray, let us wish to partake in communion. </em> </p><p><em>  Let us partake in communion and feast upon the old blood. </em>" </p><p>Finishing the prayer, the stranger stood up from their position and addressed him, knowing of him creeping up on him. The man’s black hair almost covered his face but his small smile was undeniable. Kirei noticed that he was drabbed in the clothes of a priest, same as him. He also seemingly carried this strong sense of resolution within him, like his faith in whatever he held dear was guiding him like the moonlight in the dead of night, He looked at the stranger with envy, what did he find that made him so resolute that Kirei could not find as well. </p><p>“Ah forgive me I was too busy praying to notice you.” Clearing his throat, the stranger offered his hand to him to which he returned with a shake of his own. </p><p>“The name is Ludwig, it’s a pleasure to meet a fellow man of the cloth.” </p><p>The 5th piece was set. </p><hr/><p>Kariya Matou cursed to himself as he tried to hide his face so the person he was next to didn’t see more of his deformed face. He was in a convenience store buying some food for dinner. This would be considered strange seeing how was he the Matou representative in the Grail War, while not being rich they were certainly not poor. However, he was a disgraced heir so the only help he was getting was new magical circuits and his servant. </p><p>Speaking of magical circuits, he could feel the worms inside of him churning as they carved out his body for food in order to turn into magical energy. After he abandoned the Matou family so too did he fail to nurture his magical circuits so by the time that he was an adult the circuits were practically non-existent. Having no way for his body to sustain a servant for the War his grandfather, Zouken Matou, offered his crest worms to be a replacement for his circuits. </p><p>“Damm Tokiomi and these bullshit Magus laws, if it weren’t for them Sakura wouldn’t have to suffer.” In truth when his grandfather called him back to participate in the Grail War he all but laughed at it. He left that life behind long ago and had no plan to come back into it. That is... </p><p>Until his grandfather showed what torturous training he had put Sakura in. </p><p>Even if she was still a child his grandfather had spent no time in training her by throwing into a pit full of his insect familiars, left their to be violated. This was the reason why he left his family in the first place, for he could not stomach the brutality of the magus life.  </p><p>Sakura was the child of his crush, Aoi Tohsaka, and if he had to sacrifice himself so that Sakura didn’t have to experience such pain ever again so be it. </p><p>“Sir your fee will be 20 dollars.” </p><p>Grimacing at the price of the food he had bought, he was pretty sure that he had run out of money, or he would have to ration the food he bought now. While the food he usually bought was fairly low he decided to buy some food for Sakura seeing how she couldn’t leave the house at all. Hopefully he would be able to lessen the pain she was feeling with some of her favorite foods. </p><p>“5,6,7 dammit,” He cursed as he was short in cash in paying the food. Not wishing to be a bother he was about to ask the kind clerk to take some of the food away until a 10-dollar bill slid across the counter. “I believe this will suffice sir.” </p><p>Not one wishing to be pitied on Kariya was about to have the man take his money back until he stared at the person’s features. </p><p>More specifically, that he only had one eye, the other covered by a cloth. </p><p>The man seemed to be in his mid 30s with blond hair that reached to the shoulder line and looked like him almost, scarred. However, he seemed to wear the scars with pride rather than try to hide it from others. “Pay no heed young man, we scarred have to stick together through these troubling times.” A bit boisterous for his liking but Kariya could sense a strong sense of companionship within him. </p><p>“Y-yeah stick together.” He offered his hand to thank him for helping pay for the food to which the man eagerly returned. </p><p>“Oh, how rude of me not introduce myself,” Placing his hand on a chest the man bowed. “I am Valtr, a pleasure to meet a fellow man of conviction.” </p><p>And so... </p><p>The last piece was set. </p><hr/><p>Somewhere in Fuyuki City Caster was elated on how things were going. Before him was a map of Fuyuki city, Over the past month he had been quite busy preparing for the upcoming Grail War and as of today the last pieces had been set. </p><p>Saber, King Arthur; the wielder of Excalibur, Sword of Promised Victory, and King of Knights </p><p>Lancer, Diarmuid Ua Duibhne; The first of the Fianna Knights with the infamous love spot that would lead to the betrayal of his king. </p><p>Archer, King Gilgamesh; The first hero to ever be recognized by the Throne of Heroes and is known as the King of Heroes </p><p>Rider, Conqueror Iskandar; His conquest of Macedonia earned him the legendary title of King of Conquerors. </p><p>Assassin, Hassan of the Hundred Personas; One of the 19 revered Hassans that had the ability to impersonate anyone which would was then translated in their legend as an army of one. </p><p>Berserker, Lancelot; His infamous betrayal with Guinevere would lead to the downfall of King Arthur’s kingdom. His search of redemption by the king’s hand had led him down a path of madness. </p><p>All heroes were such grand actors in the upcoming war. Caster could barely contain his excitement at what the night would bring.  </p><p>“My Bloody Crow relay the approval for the Micolash to begin the ritual, I trust that everyone else is ready?” </p><p>Stepping out of the shadows, The Bloody Crow bowed as he relayed his report. “ Yes your majesty all are in position, Rom has claimed her territory by the seashore, The School of Mensis has successfully taken over the City Hall and is ready to transform it into their fortress, The Ryuudou temple has been commandeered by the Choir, The Yahar’gul Hunters in await the darkness, and all other hunter groups stand ready in their respective locations. All that remains is for the night to set in.” </p><p>“Soon my friends...” Caster’s mask hid the feral grin that creeped up to his face. Unable to contain it, he began to laugh his pleasure out, whether it was that of insanity or of joyous nature; that would be left to the viewer’s judgement. </p><p>“The Hunt shall begin once more.” </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Let The Hunt Begin</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Caster takes care of some loose ends before introducing himself to the other servants. </p><p>And so the first moments of The Hunt begins.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>
  <span>Deep beneath the Ryuudou Temple, in a vast cavern laid the Greater Grail.  It was not an actual grail, no that was the job of the Lesser Grail, a key that would activate the Greater Grail. The Greater Grail was a massive and intricate magic circle that would serve as a gateway to the Root once the Lesser Grail gained enough magical energy from the Servants it summoned. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>However, the Holy Grail was not as ‘Holy’ as its name would suggest. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The</span>
  <span> Einzberns had grown desperate in their quest to reclaim the Third Magic, the ability to manifest souls. </span>
  <span>They soon realized</span>
  <span> that they would never be able to regain it by themselves so they enlisted the help of the Matou and Tohsaka families to construct the Heaven’s Feel</span>
  <span> ritual, which would be known as the Holy Grail War.</span>
  <span> Unable to win the </span>
  <span>2 previous </span>
  <span>Grail War, </span>
  <span>by the 3</span>
  <span>rd</span>
  <span> Grail War </span>
  <span>they decided to summon an Anti-Hero servant rather than a True Heroic Spirit</span>
  <span>. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Angra Mainyu, All The World’s Evil</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The Einzberns believed that by summoning the manifestation of all the evil in the world</span>
  <span>,</span>
  <span> they would be able to win the War through brute force. However</span>
  <span>,</span>
  <span> Angra Mainyu was not the deity they had originally believed him to be as he was just a simple man that was decided by his village to hold all of their sins and be </span>
  <span>sacrificed</span>
  <span> so that they would be freed from them. As a result</span>
  <span>,</span>
  <span> he was so soundlessly crushed by the other servants that the Einzberns were the first to be eliminated from the 3</span>
  <span>rd</span>
  <span> Grail War</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>But for Angra Mainyu, his story did not end </span>
  <span>there</span>
  <span>.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>As he was absorbed into the Grail so too was the curses that he seemingly absorbed from his village. The once blank canvas of the Holy Grail War was now tainted with the corruption of Angra Mainyu, allowing the summoning of Anti-Heroes such as Gilles de Rais. Such a tainted grail could be now considered a true manifestation of the World’s Evil.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>However</span>
  <span>,</span>
  <span> as Caster gazed on its tainted state, all he could feel was disappointment.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>This was the World’s Evil? He expected something a bit more sinister. Maybe some kind of demon capable of destroying entire realities that it would have to the Grand Servants to stop, a Beast of Humanity almost. Yet this was all that was here in this cavern? </span>
  <span>A wish-granting</span>
  <span> system that was corrupt, </span>
  <span>had</span>
  <span> Angra</span>
  <span> try to</span>
  <span> make an attempt to grow stronger, to maybe hijack the Grail and use its power to fully manifest </span>
  <span>to what the Einzberns had wanted him to be then maybe he wouldn’t feel the need to kill him. He was almost wanted to spare him and let him accumulate power from the upcoming grail war but that would’ve screwed his plan over so he felt no remorse of what was to come next.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright time to die Angra.” Placing a foot in the cavern, Caster was ready to obliterate the Avenger servant.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He did have to applaud Angra for his efforts however. The moment he had stepped foot a barrage of corruption tendrils shot out from the magic circle. Shooting forward like missiles, the tendrils hoped to damage the Great One that had stepped foot in its domain; hoping to kill and corrupt him. Any lesser servant would’ve instantly faltered against such a barrage, unable to defend from the endless number of tendrils.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>But for Caster, they were just as easy to swat like one would do with a fly.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Letting out some of his magic, in a bright flash any approaching tendrils had been eradicated. However, this did not deter Angra as he continued to launch more tendrils at him. With each hundreds of tendrils that Angra launched, Caster released a miniature supernova that would render Angra’s offensive useless until he was in the middle of the magic circle. By this point Angra had activated what little energy that the Greater Grail had accumalted over the years to try and preserve his life. From hundreds to thousands the tendrils now looked like a blanket of corruption that tried to envelop Caster. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright now this is getting annoying.” Whipping out a hilt, Caster muttered a few incantations in the tongue of the Great Ones. Realizing that what he was about to do Angra begun to put any vestiges of energy left within the Greater Grail had left, not caring that he might die in his attempt. Finishing his incantation, Caster allowed the hilt to take cosmic energy into the form of a sword, humming with the tune of the galaxies. With one slash of his sword any hope that Angra had of survival was taken away as the resulting blast wiped out any present corruption within the Greater Grail.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Losing all hopes of trying to fight back, Angra Mainyu was left to the mercy of Caster. “Don’t get the wrong idea from this Angra but I really sympathize with you, I am not without benevolence. I know what that village did to you in their attempt to cleanse their sins. All that torturing and beating turned you into the horrid thing that you are today.” Reaching down, Caster allowed his hand to break through reality itself to enter the inner workings of the Greater Grail. He had to give credit to the 3 Founding Families for the care and intricacy that went into building the Heaven’s Feel.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Locating the last vestiges of Angra Mainyu, Caster grabbed the corruption parasite. Feeling the parasite wiggle around in his grasp, he gave his final farewell. “This is goodbye Angra Mainyu, may wherever you end up treat you far nicer than this place has,” and crushed the parasite with cosmic energy. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>And thus Angra Mainyu alongside the corruption he had inflicted on the Grail disappeared.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Pocketing the now sword less hilt, Caster gazed up at the ceiling of the cavern. Night had descended over Fuyuki City and so too would the Holy Grail War begin. As the moon took its place over the night, so did he feel his control over the city take hold. Across the city he could feel his Noble Phantasm take its hold on the city. Careful ritual preparations during the 1</span>
  <span>st</span>
  <span> month had allowed his Noble Phantasm to take hold without anyone noticing.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Smirking he could feel the 6 other servants converging by Mion River, preparing to show themselves for the others to see. Chuckling Caster went into spiritual form to prepare his grand entrance</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>After all.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>What kind of host would he be if he didn’t personally introduce the servants and masters into the nightmare they were walking into. </span>
  
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>“Maiya is Assassin still there?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Affirmative, he still has yet to move.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Keep watch till he moves.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Affirmative Kiritsugu.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>By the docks of the Mion River, the first battle of the 4</span>
  <span>th</span>
  <span> Holy Grail War had begun. Saber had been called forth by a challenge by Lancer. Challenged in the name of Chivalry, the two clashed in a battle worthy of legend. Even for Kiritsugu, the Magus Killer, it was hard to track the movements of both knights as each clash would shake the ground. While having Saber being King Arthur, Revered ruler of Camelot, as an opponent; Lancer, Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, was worthy enough to be considered her equal in this battle of skill. Both were equally matched with Saber’s skill using Excalibur and Diarmuid’s prowess with his dual spears. However, such a stalemate between servants would not last forever. It was Saber who made the first folly as she severely underestimated the power behind Lancer’s spears.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Now she had a wound on her left arm that would not heal, courtesy of Gae Buidhe, The Golden Rose of Mortality in which the wounds that it inflicted would not heal so long as the spear existed. Having his identity revealed meant that the other spear was Gae Dearg, The Crimson Rose of Exorcism which pierced through any magical defenses. Having Noble Phantasms that rendered any defense that Saber possessed useless; he was about to step in to stop the fight before it got any worse, by shooting down Lancer’s master.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>That is until Rider rode in on a blaze of glory.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Declaring his true name for all to hear, Rider had effectively stopped the fight as both Saber and Lancer gaped at his casual reveal of his true name, his master included. A servant’s true name was in essence their weaknesses laid out in front of you. Knowing a servant’s true name allowed one to gleam their legend, to be able to know what their strengths and weaknesses were. Yet for all that a True name entailed, Kiritsugu could tell that Iskandar had taken that disadvantage and flipped it to become an advantage. A normal master and servant would regard Iskandar as a fool and proceed to take him lightly when it came to exchanging blows. That disregard would lead to one underestimating the might of The King of Conquerors. After all, he did not conquer Macedonia with brute strength alone.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Having had his invitations to join his army shot down; Rider called forth the other servants that had been watching in the shadows but chose not to act.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The first to respond had been the Golden Archer, the one who seemingly decimated Assassin.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Just from a glance he could tell that Archer would be the strongest servant in this Grail War. The way he had established himself above the servants it was obvious that he was the arrogant bunch. Though unlike most arrogant people he had the displeasure of knowing, this Archer had the power to back it up. When Archer called forth his projectiles through his golden portals, one could tell that they were Noble Phantasms.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Then Berserker showed up, the Black Knight howling in madness.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>6 different servants, excluding the Caster Class which had yet to show themselves, had showed up and the tension between them couldn’t be any more obvious. Each servant had their own reason to fight for the Grail and with all of their opposition sitting right in front of them, all it would take was one tiny action to ignite this bomb of legends into chaos. “Maiya has Assassin moved?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Negative Kiritsugu, Assassin has yet to move.” Swiveling his gun to where Assassin had perched themselves before the appearance of the other servants, he was able to confirm that Assassin had yet to move. Cursing on how fast the situation was unraveling before their eyes, he gave some orders. “Maiya continue observing Assassin, there’s no way that they wouldn’t act at a time like this.” After giving her orders, he continued watching the situation with the servants.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Who gave you permission to look upon my form?” The Golden Archer addressed Berserker who was looking at him with intrigue. How dare this mongrel gaze upon his perfect form without his permission. Summoning his gates, he brought forth two weapons to which he pointed at the crazed knight. “May your death bring me some form of entertainment mongrel!” and he let the 2 Noble Phantasms fly at Berserker.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>This was getting out hand before long all servants present would be fighting with each other. The devastation that they would leave in their wake would be too much for even the Church to cover up. In addition, Irisviel would also be in harm’s way if it did dissolve into that mess scenario. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It seems that his unspoken prayer for the fighting to stop had been answered, but he would soon realize that he’d rather take it back.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>From the night sky, two bullets of cosmic energy raced across the sky before colliding with the swords of Archer, creating an explosion. Having had his judgement stopped Archer glared at the sky where the attack had come from. “Which unruly mongrel dares to stop my judgement!?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh? And who are you to assume that you are my better Archer?” Descending from the night, on butterfly wings formed by cosmic energy that radiated authority, Caster smirked as all attention was put on him. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“It appears that introductions are needed. I am Caster,” Bowing Caster let a bit of his authority shine as his once normal eyes became a swirling galaxy of power. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry for being late.”</span>
  
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>Caster grinned as the tension seemingly became directed at him, and for good reason. Here was a servant who belonged to class that would’ve never introduced themselves to other servants and most certainly not stop an attack from the what was supposedly the strongest servant in the Grail War. He would be changing that perspective very soon.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, it seems that all Servants are accounted for.” Leave it to Iskandar to break through the tension. Bowing his head to Rider, Caster agreed with his statement. “It was your statement that moved me to reveal myself oh King of Conquerors. “ </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Then you must know what I am about to ask you next.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Chuckling Caster would play his game. “Apologies Rider but I am uninterested in joining your army, the conquest of the world does not interest me.” </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“But you are not opposed to it?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Laughing at how Iskandar so easily deflected his answer back him, he allowed him to have this battle of wits. “If I ever feel the need to conquer the world then I shall join you.” </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Very well Caster; still out of all the 7 servants, one is dead before I can even ask to join my army and another who is not opposed to the idea.” Grinning wildly Rider raised his arms. “It makes me want to try so much harder to convince all of you to join my army even more now.” </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Waver was ready to kill himself right about now. Not only did Rider charge into a match between Saber and Lancer, he revealed his True Name for all to hear, his previous teacher knew he was here and he would probably suffer because he had the gall to steal his relic.  Now he had to deal with his servant trying to recruit other servants. Why didn’t he just stay at the Clocktower?</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh? Are we talking about Assassin? Why don’t we ask him ourselves” Caster chimed in.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Impossible! Assassin died on the first night,” Kayneth argued from his perch on top of the warehouse.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Master of Lancer, why should I heed the words of a rat that hides in the darkness when all others have shown their face.” Looking down on Lancer he decided to twist the knife in Kayneth’s pride. “This is the slimy magus you have pledged your loyalty to Lancer?” Without any reasoning to defend his lord, all Lancer could do was avert his face in shame. “And who are you to assume my logic is wrong, I am of the Caster class, such poorly designed schemes cannot hide from my insight.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Then what did we see?” Waver asked curiously.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“A usage of Assassin’s Noble Phantasm, normally I would never share such info about a servant but seeing how they have yet to show their face to us,” Pausing a bit Caster projected his voice. “Assassin there is no point in hiding, we know you are here, come out would you.” </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>And yet.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Assassin, still believing that they were safe, chose not to reveal themselves.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Sighing Caster apologized what he was about to do next. “Very well, I feel no remorse for what will happen next,” and snapped his fingers. Then a loud demonic screech filled the air. The last thing that Assassin, or rather one of the personas, experienced was suddenly being dragged from their perch and slammed down to the ground, a large demonic beast looming above them before they died.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What was that?” Saber asked as she positioned herself in front of Irisiviel, ready to defend her at any moment.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, nothing much, just my pet taking care of some loose ends.” Vanishing into spirit form Caster gave some last remarks. “Welp I’m off but I’ll leave my pet here as a taste of what is to come, don’t die on me yet!” And with that Caster left the scene.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>And then his ‘pet’ entered the scene.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Approaching from an array of containers, the beast looked at the gathered servants with interest. This was a Cleric Beast, a once revered member of the Healing Church that had turned into this unsightly beast. Those of the Healing Church were the ones that turned to the most hideous of beasts. The enormous wolf beast with its disfigured horns stalked forward with its prey in hand. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Assassin, or what was left of this copy, could only be dragged by the imposing beast. It was so easily crushed that it should’ve have departed for the Throne by now, which did not happen. The only it could do was allow the beast to drag its corpse around, smearing the ground with their blood.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Before anyone could react, the Cleric Beast roared once more into the night before engaging the servants. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>There the servants would get a taste of the hunt that they would find themselves in.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>And while all this was happening, without anyone noticing, the once innocent moon had begun to turn red, a beginning to the bloody night that would soon begin.</span>
  
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Root of Madness</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The 6 servants clash with The Cleric Beast. If only they knew the madness that they were slowly walking into as the Hunt reveals itself to them.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The Cleric Beast had begun the fight.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>By throwing the corpse of Assassin right at Archer.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Not expecting to even participate in the fight, he would’ve left that to the other servants, Gilgamesh was rocketed from his perch to a distant warehouse with a loud boom. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The Cleric Beast then proceeded to move to its next target, only to be on the receiving end of Berserker’s Noble Phantasm. Having had it original target taken out of the fight temporarily, Lancelot proceeded to pick up the fallen remains of Archer’s earlier Noble Phantasms and added it to his armory. This was the Knight of Honor Noble Phantasm. Any weapon that he picked up would instantly transform into a D-ranked Noble Phantasm. Taking his newly acquired arms, Berserker slashed the Cleric Beast’s enormous left arm, easily piercing through the skin.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Even in the thralls of </span>
  <span>beasthood</span>
  <span>, The Cleric Beast still understood pain as it screeched in pain before engaging Berserker. While still being in the embrace of madness, Lancelot still had the skill and prowess of a Knight of the Round Table imprinted in his body. Dodging under a grab, he proceeded to take stabs at the horrid beast while staying out of the beast’s reach and for a while it did work. Every swipe he would dodge before unleashing the wrath of his weapons on offending arm before retreating. After all what could one do against such a beast of this size. However, Lancelot would soon mess up.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Having had enough of this persistent knight just staying out of reach while piercing its skin, the Cleric Beast screeched loud into the night. Tensing its body, it shot forward like a rocket, using it horns as a battering ram right at Berserker. Unable to dodge the attack Berserker positioned his swords into a cross defensive stance to absorb most of the impact. Still the inertia of the charge barreled him straight through an array of containers.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>In its rage the Cleric Beast had forgotten two things however.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>One, its charge would be leaving him vulnerable to any incoming attacks.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Two, there was more than 2 servants present at the docks.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>And Rider on his chariot was about to ram right into the beast.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Appearing from the dust, Iskandar roared his battle cry as his chariot, The Gordius Wheel, begun to charge up power.  The bulls that pulled the chariot were not regular bulls as they were originally Divine bulls that Zeus, King of Greek Gods, had gifted to King Gordius until they were passed on to the King of </span>
  <span>Conquerors</span>
  <span>. Needless to say, the Cleric Beast was defenseless as the divine chariot slammed into its gigantic arm with a thunderous strike, shattering all the bones within it and rendering it useless. The Cleric Beast however could not roar its pain this time as Saber and Lancer appeared behind the wake of Rider, not letting up the assault.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Displaying skill and teamwork one would expect of partners of the battlefield. The Cleric Beast could do nothing as both servants exploited its now crippled arm. Weaving through the other’s strike, they were a hurricane of steel. Saber’s heavy Excalibur blows that left heavy gashes that would be quickly followed by Lancer stabbing his dual spears into them, creating mass amounts of pain. In its last vestiges of rational thought, the beast leapt into the air to distance itself from the servants. Trying in vain to establish its dominance the Cleric Beast tried roaring into the night, only to look on in horror as the night sky above it was illuminated by </span>
  <span>multiple</span>
  <span> golden portals.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It seemed that Archer had come back.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>And with a </span>
  <span>vengeance</span>
  <span>.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“YOU DARE LAY YOUR CLAWS ON ME MONGREL!” Having had his pride as king tainted by this unruly cur, Gilgamesh utilized the full might of the Gates of Babylon. For he was the King of Heroes and all treasures of Humanity was his, even Noble Phantasms. Summoning an armada of various Noble Phantasms through his gates, a fair </span>
  <span>number</span>
  <span> of Noble Phantasms that dealt additional damage to beasts were in there to. He let them hang from the gates before sealing this Cleric Beast’s death.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>With a cold remark Gilgamesh sounded the death knell. “Die.” And with that the various Noble Phantasms bombarded the beast.  If it had been in perfect condition then the Cleric Beast may have had a chance of survival but the various wounds caused by the other servants and made it so that it died instantly from the barrage. Thunderous explosions were heard as each Noble </span>
  <span>Phantasms</span>
  <span> exploded and causing </span>
  <span>excruciating</span>
  <span> pain for the beast.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>As the dust cleared all that remained of the Cleric Beast was its shredded corpse. One couldn’t even tell its original identity as the only visible remains left was the malformed head of the beast. The rest of the body had been reduced to various bits of gore and blood. The servants and masters could only watch in anticipation to see if the beast would arise from the dead. Lucky for them mist begun to envelop the corpse until it disappeared from this world.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Their reprieve however was cut short as applause now filled the docks.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Specifically,</span>
  <span> from Caster.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Perched on top of one of the cranes that Assassin was previously on, Caster was giving them a standing ovation. Yet the praise was more of amusement, like if one was so entertained by the acts of others and wished to see more. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Bravo! Bravo! It seems that the Grail has indeed summoned such marvelous servants for this Grail War! Simply </span>
  <span>magnificent</span>
  <span>!”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>Oh,</span>
  <span> it surprises me that you find this situation amusing Caster, considering that you have openly attacked all of us,” Rider pointed out as Caster was not currently in the good graces of the other servants.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Easily waving off the veiled threat, Caster nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders. “If I had wanted to kill </span>
  <span>you,</span>
  <span> I could have just summoned more beasts to fight you. That Cleric Beast was the tip of the iceberg of what I can do.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“M-More!” Waver was shocked that Caster was able to summon such a beast that could go toe-to-toe with a servant so easily. </span>
  <span>Plus,</span>
  <span> the fact that he could summon more horrifying beasts to heed his call.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Laughing at the horror of Waver, Caster assured him that was not what he was planning. “Where’s the fun in just throwing beasts at you guys, it spoils the hunt and after all...,” He then leaned forward, as if to tell a secret. “Why rush things if the hunt is-.” Placing his hands over his mouth, Caster looked like he was about to reveal the next biggest thing, like a child caught in a lie.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“If the hunt is what Caster, spit it out already.” Caster was similar to Merlin it wasn’t even funny for Saber. While he was a valued friend and almost family for her there were times that Merlin would set up schemes for his enjoyment that often put her in harm’s way. The same look that Merlin had whenever he was caught in the act was the same for Caster.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Laughing at how clueless they were to future events, Caster continued to mock them. “And where’s the fun in revealing such juicy details that fast? Though to reassure you I shall leave you for real right now.” Standing from their perch Caster gave one last bow before leaving the scene. “Oh, do be cautious on your way back, I’ve heard unsavory things lurk in the night and it would be a shame if you met your demise by some back-alley beast.” Taking one last laugh, Caster vanished from the docks.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Hmph a mongrel claiming to be higher than me? Preposterous!” Turning his head to address the remaining servants, Gilgamesh gave his proclamation. “See that you’ve culled your numbers by our next meeting. Only a True hero is worthy of looking upon me.” About to walk off he gave off one last warning. “No one is allowed to touch Caster, he will die by my hand alone, lest you incur my anger.” and with that he vanished into spiritual form.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Berserker having had its target leave the scene, had no reason to stay anymore. Taking one last look at the other servants, and taking a second longer to gaze at Saber, he vanished into a plume of darkness.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What a letdown, then again if anything Caster has shown us that we can work together.” Looking back to Saber and Lancer Rider gave off his farewell. “Saber, Lancer settle your duel. I will then face the victor. I hope to enjoy our next meeting as much as I did this one.” Noticing that his master had yet to say anything, he turned around to ask the boy if he wished to say anything, </span>
  <span>only</span>
  <span> to sigh as his master had passed out from the sheer shock of recent events. He was young but he would mold him to being a master he would be proud of. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Farewell!” He called out from his Gordius Wheel as it streaked across the night sky.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Being the last of the servants Saber stared at Lancer, before nodding her head. In turn Lancer nodded his head before vanishing into spirit form. </span>
  <span>There</span>
  <span> was no need for an exchange of goodbyes, they both knew that they were seeing each other very soon to settle their duel once and for all. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Saber!” Turning her </span>
  <span>head,</span>
  <span> she saw that </span>
  <span>Irisviel</span>
  <span> was waiting for her by the car. “</span>
  <span>Let's</span>
  <span> go home.” Smiling Saber joined </span>
  <span>Irisviel</span>
  <span> as they drove back to the castle.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>However,</span>
  <span> in the darkness, several pairs of eyes had been watching ever since their lord had vanished from the scene. Seeing that all servants were on their way back they scattered as they rushed to face their assigned targets.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Across Fuyuki City...</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The Hunt had been awoken.</span>
  
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>“Rider?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Hmm yes boy.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Is it just me or is everything too quiet.” As they sailed across the Fuyuki night sky, Waver had grown increasingly paranoid. Why? It was because in their flight, they had yet to see any activity of human life.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Is it not a time for people to rest for </span>
  <span>tomorrow</span>
  <span>?” Rider tried to assuage his fears.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah I know that but you’d see the occasional passing car or someone going on a night walk right about now.” The houses were eerily quiet as well. No sounds could be heard from any house and the only indication that someone might be home was the light </span>
  <span>emanating</span>
  <span> from the window. It was like they had just entered a ghost town.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Something is wrong here.” Waver muttered as his mind slowly begun to piece the puzzle together.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>How easily Caster had let them go.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The fact that he had foreshadowed something bad happening soon.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>And for the last piece.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>His senses were screaming at him as a magical laser was soaring through the night sky, right at them.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“RIDER MOVE!” He screamed as Iskandar registered the warning and banked the chariot right out of the path of cosmic laser at the last second. A second later, a loud explosion ringed through the air. Reorienting the chariot, Rider looked to where the laser had been fired from.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The Fuyuki Clocktower was considered to be the jewel of Fuyuki City. Standing tall and majestic as the day it was first built. It was the landmark that signified the middle of the City that represented power and fortune.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Now it had become this perch for this eldritch multi-armed Great One who was currently trying to shoot them down from the sky. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>This was Amygdala.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>From its perch the multi-eyed Great One saw everything that was happening across the Fuyuki City. With its insight, it could see the various pairs of master and servants attempting to return home, not knowing the assailants that were currently trailing them. Updating the locations of the servants for others to see it refocused its attention at the task at hand.  From its grotesque head, it continued firing cosmic lasers at the flying chariot. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Holding on tightly to the side of a chariot as they dodged yet another laser, Waver’s face only paled as he saw that Amygdala wasn’t the only thing that had to worry about as he looked down below.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>On the roofs of various buildings, a Hunter group revealed themselves as they prepped to fire their various firearms at the flying chariot. Normal hunter firearms could never hope to even come close to hitting the divine chariot but for the Powder Kegs and their loud and devastating weapons. They got the job done. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Fiddling with his Gatling Gun, </span>
  <span>Djura</span>
  <span> the leader of the Powder Kegs was ready to issue the command to shoot down the chariot. While he was considered too old to hunt, he made up for it with years of building and experience with using all the weapons of the Powder Kegs.  With the drop of his hand he gave the command. "Fire!” The rooftops were soon sparked ablaze as each hunter fired their modified rifles, Gatling guns, and even a cannon at the flying chariot.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>As Rider weaved through the projectiles, he knew that it was just a matter of time until something shot them out of the sky. Cursing in Greek, he took the reins of the bulls and turned them around as they made way for the Fuyuki Bridge to rethink their strategy.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>If only they knew that was the beginning of their troubles.</span>
  
</p><hr/><p>
  
  <span>Kariya </span>
  <span>Matou</span>
  <span> was not an adequate master. Even with his borrowed Crest Worms he still had to limit Berserker’s battle lust lest he accidentally kill him by magic exhaustion. So, when servants had appeared at the Mion Docks he sent Berserker to investigate, and hopefully kill </span>
  <span>Tokiomi’s</span>
  <span> servant. When Berserker had then begun to clash blades with the Cleric Beast and took a hard hit from it, he had blacked out of the magic usage on his body. He still needed to get used to the strain on his body but he was sure that he would never get used to it.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The sounds of gunfire and explosions had woken him up.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Startled out of his sleep, Kariya begun to panic until he realized he was in the alleyway that he had passed out in. Looking to his side he saw that Berserker had kept watch as his master slept. Hearing another explosion, he looked up to see the sky riddled with explosions and gunfire.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Standing </span>
  <span>up and</span>
  <span> patting the dust from his </span>
  <span>legs,he</span>
  <span> wondered what the hell was going on.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>Oh,</span>
  <span> that’s our opening act.” A mysterious voice called out.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Startled by the new voice, Kariya fell on his butt as he tried to put distance between him and the newcomer. Berserker, </span>
  <span>however, </span>
  <span>leapt</span>
  <span> right in and positioned himself in front of his master, ready to protect him when the time came. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Stepping out of the shadows their assailant revealed themselves. Garbed in the hide of a Cleric Beast and sporting the scalp of said beast on his head. Taking his </span>
  <span>time,</span>
  <span> he casually approached the pair as his Sinister bell was strapped to his belt, still </span>
  <span>ominously</span>
  <span> ringing for it had found its prey. He was </span>
  <span>Brador</span>
  <span>, a Church Assassin that had a knack for finding those that crawled in the shadows.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>Djura</span>
  <span> is a bumbling oaf most of the times but when you need someone to make a loud message for you, he’s your man.”  Stopping just a few feet away from them he mock saluted the pair. “</span>
  <span>So,</span>
  <span> you’re the person that had </span>
  <span>Valtr</span>
  <span> shouting over the moon, man what a pain.” </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait? Valtr?” Kariya questioned as the man that he met at the convenience store was seemingly part of this scheme.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yup, he and I, alongside countless others, are here the request of our most holy; I think you might know him as Caster.” He let the master soak in the horror as he realized that he, and the other masters, had fallen right into his trap.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Enough pleasantries.” Taking out a small mace, Kariya braced himself only to shout in horror as </span>
  <span>Brador</span>
  <span> lodged the mace into his chest. However his shock was only temporary as dread replaced it as the supposedly dead </span>
  <span>Brador</span>
  <span> pulled his mace out of his chest with a sickening sound, the now small mace having been transformed into its bigger and bloodier version. Holding his now fully transformed Bloodletter, Brador formally introduced himself.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Name’s </span>
  <span>Brador</span>
  <span>, hope you don’t disappoint me.” Was all he said before rushing in. Berserker grabbed two pipes and converted it into weapons before rushing to meet the assassin</span>
  
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>In the middle of the Fuyuki City Sea, another Great One slumbered. Enveloping the sea with a pale ethereal light, this Great One had laid claim to her territory. If one listened closely, they could hear the whispers of insight that gleamed the secrets of the cosmos.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>For a Choir member that was assigned to be the servant of the Great One residing here.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>There could be no greater honor.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She had joined the Choir in hopes of communing with a Great One, to become something greater. They were the elite branch of the Healing Church that studied the cosmos in hopes of being able to ascend to godhood. It was in their discovery of the Great One Ebrietas that had allowed them to make remarkable strides in their quest for ascension.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>However even if the dream of ascending to </span>
  <span>becoming</span>
  <span> a Great One had long since </span>
  <span>passed</span>
  <span>, the Choir had switched their focus in studying the insight of their one true God and try to be his loyal students.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Speaking softly, lest she wake the sleeping the Great One from her concentration, she asked if her lady was doing okay. “Lady Rom, are you well?” </span>
  <span>There</span>
  <span> was no clear sign that her concern had been heard from the Arachnoid Great One but a second later she could feel Rom’s soothing presence envelop her as she heard her voice. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>Yes,</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span> thank you for your concern my child.”</span>
  </em>
  
  
</p><p>
  <span>Smiling at the praise she received, the Choir lady placed a reassuring hand on the side of Lady Rom to allow her to continue her ritual. Even now she could sense that the Hunt in the city was beginning and she would have felt dread, knowing that </span>
  <span>Lady</span>
  <span> Rom was a key in ending the Hunt. However, they were not alone. Looking outward she sighed in relief as the other Great One present was still slumbering, dreaming of peaceful times.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>This Great One was a handful to deal and for good reason. After all it was the actions of her branch that deprived it of its mother and as a result cursed them with a </span>
  <span>never-ending</span>
  <span> nightmare. Normally it would be screaming or bashing the ground with its weapon but Lady Rom had a knack for calming it down with her presence. She pitied the poor fool that would awaken the force of nature from its peaceful dream.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>So,</span>
  <span> it begins,” She muttered as all was going according to plan. When Caster had ascended to become a Great One, Humanity had been uplifted from its </span>
  <span>roots. Now the</span>
  <span> time of judgement had arrived once more for Humanity.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Had Humanity evolved from its feeble origins?</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Or</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Were they still the beasts that plagued the </span>
  <span>world?</span>
  
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It was up to the masters and servants of the 4</span>
  <span>th</span>
  <span> Holy Grail War to answer this question.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I'm so surprised with the feedback this story is getting! I hope to deliver future chapters that will make you guys happy.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Ballad Of Chaos</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The madness continues to swirl as the other master and servants are pulled into its grasp.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>While the city sky of Fuyuki City was alive with gunfire and cosmic bombardment, the coastline was fairly </span>
  <span>quiet</span>
  <span>. As Saber drove the car back to the </span>
  <span>Einzbern</span>
  <span> Castle, </span>
  <span>Irisviel</span>
  <span> was staring at the sea as they cruised by. Ever since they had left the docks, she seemed to be on edge for some strange reason. Like if something was watching them from afar.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Child.”</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  <span>And then there was the voice in her head trying to speak to her. It was as if the eyes that were watching her was also trying to talk to her. She played it off as the Lesser Grail resonating with the servants that she had met earlier but as time passed on the soft voice persisted. As if it was trying to lull her with a lullaby. There was also this sound of dripping water that she kept hearing but she played if off as the sound of the sea. If only she knew that the sound of water was an augur of the insight of the Great Ones.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“You believe that you are special.”</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“That you are loved.”</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“All of them are lies.”</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“No,” She refuted in her mind. </span>
  <span>Kiritsugu</span>
  <span> had showed her who she truly was. How beautiful he found her. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Maybe, but you are chained to your body”</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“A slave to your destiny.”</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“You believe </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>that you</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span> are a mother.”</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop it please, stop.” She pleaded to the voice within her to stop its trail of thought.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“You will </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>damn</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span> the wish of your beloved.”</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“For that is who you are.”</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“A tool,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> An image flashed of all the previous </span>
  <span>Einzbern</span>
  <span> Homunculus, staked </span>
  <span>on top</span>
  <span> of each other like cattle, dammed to the same fate of death for the Third Magic. All of them who looked like her, staring blankly at her; devoid of the freedom that she was blessed to have</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>And very soon,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Images flashed of her precious </span>
  <span>Illyasviel</span>
  <span> and beloved </span>
  <span>Kiritsugu</span>
  <span>. Both were smiling at her and beckoned her to join them.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“A murderer,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>The scene darkened as she stood before their corpses. Looks of betrayal </span>
  <span>etched</span>
  <span> onto their face as she held the knife that killed them. Dropping the knife, </span>
  <span>Irisviel</span>
  <span> clutched her head as she vehemently denied what the vison had shown her. All the while an encompassing void begun to </span>
  <span>envelop</span>
  <span> her as she tried to deny what she had done.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“No, no, no....”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>…</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>Irisviel</span>
  <span>? </span>
  <span>Irisviel</span>
  <span>!?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Snapping out of the vision, she looked at Saber who was looking at her in worry. “</span>
  <span>Oh,</span>
  <span> its nothing Saber, I was just daydreaming for a bit.” Dismissing her concerns with a wave of her hand, she tried to play off her haunting vision. Saber looked on in worry as it was obvious something had bothered her but she chose not to push. “I see.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Anyway, Saber why have we stopped?” </span>
  <span>Irisviel</span>
  <span> observed their surroundings, noticing that the car had stopped somewhere along the coastline road. They were quite far from the castle to stop so what had Saber stop the car?</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah, I think you should look for </span>
  <span>yourself</span>
  
  <span>Irisviel</span>
  <span>.” She said as she exited from the driver’s side of the car and walked around the car to open the door for </span>
  <span>Irisviel</span>
  <span>. Stepping out of the car and letting the sea breeze </span>
  <span>tussle</span>
  <span> her hair, she found out what the problem was.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Overlooking the coastline, they saw the state of the Fuyuki sea. What might’ve once been a regular sea was now covered in a pale ethereal light.  </span>
  <span>Stretching</span>
  <span> on for miles, the pale ethereal light was a blanket that hid the sea and the only way one would know that the sea was there would be the soft sounds of water.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What is this?” Never in her life had she seen such a </span>
  <span>phenomenal</span>
  <span> site but she could tell that this was not normal. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Is it not magnificent? A sight to behold and within that mist is unparalleled beauty.” A familiar voice called out.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Looking toward her right in shock, </span>
  <span>Irisviel</span>
  <span> saw Maria, the kind women they met on her first day in Fuyuki City, walking towards them. Waving at the first friend she met in the city; </span>
  <span>Irisviel</span>
  <span> was about to rush over until Saber outstretched her arm, warning her to stay put.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you doing here Maria?” It was strange that such a strange </span>
  <span>phenomenon</span>
  <span> to occur in the Fuyuki sea during a Holy Grail War, then out of nowhere Maria comes in. Such a </span>
  <span>suspicious</span>
  <span> timing had Saber wary of a scheme at play, one that she often had to watch out for from her sister, Morrigan.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Suspicious are we now Saber? Then again you are the King of Knights for a reason.” At her words, Saber materialized her battle outfit on and whipped out Excalibur, still cloaked in the Invisible Air: Barrier of the Wind King. Her prized noble phantasm was hidden with this special wind so that others wouldn’t gleam her true identity.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Chuckling softly, Maria spread out her arms as mist enveloped her entire frame. By the time the mist had </span>
  <span>dissipated</span>
  <span> she was no longer in her casual city clothes. Now she was garbed in her </span>
  <span>Cainhurst</span>
  <span> Hunter set, light and durable to be Hunter gear but also elegant that one might find in a royal court. Patting down her clothes, enjoying the fact her trademark outfit was now back on, she formally re-introduced herself.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Pulling out her prized weapon, The </span>
  <span>Rakuyo</span>
  <span>, she trailed her finger along its deadly edge. “I am Maria of the Astral Clocktower.” Stopping her hand at the hilt of the </span>
  <span>double-bladed</span>
  <span> weapon, she swiftly pulled at the hilt so the </span>
  <span>double-bladed</span>
  <span> sword had now become two swords. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“So nice to formally meet you at last.” She said before disappearing into fog. This was the art of Quickening, an art that the old hunters mastered that allowed them to move so fast that not even the eyes of their prey could track them. For Saber, even if she could not track the movement of Maria with her eyes, moved to meet the huntress. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>In an instant their swords clashed, sparks flying from the direct content, and the two ladies of nobility engaged in their own elegant dance of clashing metal.</span>
  
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>“Why didn’t I listen to my peers when they warned me about the dangers of the Holy Grail War.” Lamented Waver as he stood at the Fuyuki Bridge, looking at the chaos unfolding.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“This isn’t so bad boy.” Grinned Rider as he took in the rapid changes of the city.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I-idiot!” He shouted before </span>
  <span>launching</span>
  <span> into a tirade of what had gone wrong in a matter of minutes. “</span>
  <span>First,</span>
  <span> I have to fight my old teacher who’s out for blood, then we are dealing with an almost unbeatable servant that can summon an endless army that can make the strongest servants struggle, and all the while I have to worry about my grandparents!” While they were not related by blood in anyway, he had hypnotized them so that he had a place to stay, they had grown on him. Now he had to worry about if they were in harm’s way.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Softening his gaze Rider saw his master in a new light. At </span>
  <span>first,</span>
  <span> he had thought him to be a spoiled kid that believed that they were on top of the world, now he saw a kid trying to mature into the person he wanted to be.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Patting his master hard on the pat he reassured the kid. “I am not Iskandar for nothing! Come let us blaze a path forward so that we may check on your grandparents’ condition and crush any that stand in our path.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Waver was taken back by the declaration of his servant. Finally had he found an even ground to stand alongside with </span>
  <span>Rider</span>
  <span>. “I’m not crying!” He tried to deny as he </span>
  <span>embarrassingly</span>
  <span> wiped his eyes to which Rider laughed even more.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <span>“A touching moment.”</span>
  </b>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Standing alert, Rider pushed Waver behind him as he </span>
  <span>observed</span>
  <span> the newcomers.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Standing on the opposite side of the bridge, was their opponents. One was humanoid, ash billowing off of their witch hat, and the other a giant wolf, snarling as magma fell </span>
  <span>through</span>
  <span> its </span>
  <span>razor-sharp</span>
  <span> canines.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>This was the Keeper and Watchdog of the Old Lords. Eternal watchers of the Old Ones and servants of their will.  Reaching up to scratch the chin of the Watchdog, to which it purred with satisfaction, the Keeper looked at the pair. </span>
  <b>
    <span>“</span>
  </b>
  <b>
    <span>So,</span>
  </b>
  <b>
    <span> you are the Master of Iskandar, King of </span>
  </b>
  <b>
    <span>Conquerors</span>
  </b>
  <b>
    <span>.”</span>
  </b>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>So,</span>
  <span> I am to assume that you were present at the docks then?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“No, our master was present but we knew of your identity already, after all it is quite hard to miss a giant redhead attracting anyone’s attention on the streets.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Gaping like a fish, Waver tried to not scream in frustration. Just when he thought that things had gotten well, past grievances had flared up. About to scream at Rider, he stopped himself. Screaming and shouting at him had done nothing but create a rift between them, maybe he would take a page out of Rider’s book. He couldn't keep hiding like a coward like this, letting Rider fight in his stead.Stepping in front of Rider, he gave what was probably the next bravest thing he did beside stealing his teacher’s relic.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“T-then are you prepared to face our might, after all R-Rider is the King of </span>
  <span>Conquerors</span>
  <span>.” Trying to speak with bravado, Waver could feel embarrassment creeping up, why in God’s name did he try to act brave. After a period of </span>
  <span>silence,</span>
  <span> he looked back up at Rider, he expected to see disappointment.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He saw a proud smile on his face. instead</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Laughing Iskandar placed a hand on his master’s shoulder. No longer were they at odds but rather of equals.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <span>“Impressive, maybe he was wrong about you Waver Velvet, Caster certainly painted you in the wrong light.”</span>
  </b>
  <span> Caster had painted Waver as a weakling, too weak to stand on his own two feet, and yet...</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Here he was standing confidently almost like if he was Rider’s...</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Unsheathing</span>
  <span> his </span>
  <span>sword,</span>
  <span> the Keeper pointed it at the master and servant.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <span>“No need for fancy introductions or whatnot, we are your opponents and that is it.”</span>
  </b>
  <span> The Keeper finished as he and the Watchdog ignited, their once relic and ashen bodies now illuminated by ethereal fire. Both of their burning eyes flashed once more before running towards the pair, the Keeper igniting his sword and the Watchdog wrapping themselves in flame. Accepting the challenge Rider charged at them </span>
  <span>on top</span>
  <span> of the Gordius Wheel, the bulls ready to dish thunderous punishment.</span>
  
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>In Fuyuki City, across the rooftops, a chase was happening. </span>
  <span>Kiritsugu</span>
  <span> and his partner Maiya were currently trying to escape the madness that had enveloped the city. Unfortunate for them their chasers begged to say otherwise.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Get the hell back here!” The lead Yahar’gul Hunter yelled as he fired a shot in hopes of trying to cripple </span>
  <span>Kiritsugu</span>
  <span>. Unfortunately, Hunter firearms were never meant to cripple their prey, only to stagger them, and as such the projectiles were slow. Easily hearing the shot, </span>
  <span>Kiritsugu</span>
  <span> jumped over the shot and returned fire with his own Thompson Contender. It was special in the sense that it was not a regular handgun but rather a Mystic Code that when fired the unfortunate soul that would be hit would have their mana go out of control in their own body, instantly ripping apart their own body. And for the poor </span>
  <span>Yahar’gul</span>
  <span> hunter that happened to get headshot by it, their armor having been paper for the bullet, it was in essence a one-shot kill.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Maiya separate, divide and conquer.” He simply said as Maiya understood the order and jumped across to another rooftop, running in a different direction.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Dammit they’re splitting up! Alright split into-” The lead hunter stopped his command as a lone feather fell in front of him, a shadow easily flying over him. Picking up the feather, he realized who had helped them out. “Alright never mind chase down the girl! Leave the other one for the Crow.” With that they began pursuing Maiya.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>After running for quite a while, </span>
  <span>Kiritsugu</span>
  <span> realized that they were no longer chasing him. Had they given up or had they chased Maiya </span>
  <span>instead</span>
  <span>?</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Worry about yourself first hunter,” The strange female voice was the only warning he had as a blade came for his head. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Time Alter: Double Accel!” Even being the renowned Magus Killer he was still bound by the limitations of the human body, but he could manipulate time around him so that he could move at the speed of a servant. However, this could only be done in short bursts as it also stopped his heart from beating in the use. Barely ducking under the edge of the blade, </span>
  <span>Kiritsugu</span>
  <span> barrel rolled away and fired his sub-machine gun at the assailant but she dodged out of the way.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, you’re no regular hunter, are you?” Now having a good look at his assailant, he was able to note that she, in a sense, sported clothing that Caster wore; she was probably a summon then. Garbed in the </span>
  <span>Crowfeather</span>
  <span> set as the Bloody Crow, but this time complete with Crow Beak Helmet, Eileen stared down her prey. She was a true Hunter of Hunters for while there were hunters to hunt down beasts, her group specialized in killing hunters that had gone mad from the Hunt and a prey like the Magus Killer; there was no one more ideal than her. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“And you have your head in the right place, unseen in people of your kind, but a welcoming change </span>
  <span>nonetheless</span>
  <span>,”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I am Eileen.” Was all she said before slowly approaching toward Kiritsugu. She was not like others that rushed in to battle, she preferred a more patient look into battle, and when the time came, she would become a hurricane of feathers and metal. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Kiritsugu</span>
  <span> knew that he was in a disadvantage here but had no choice but to hold out against the Crow.  He needed to wear down her stamina until it was safe to summon Saber, though she was in her own battle right now. Feeling the magic flowing off of the Command Seals, he fired at the approaching huntress, who weaved through the gunfire.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>And </span>
  <span>so,</span>
  <span> one out of many more battles begun.</span>
  
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>“Report Knight.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>Yes,</span>
  <span> my </span>
  <span>liege, we</span>
  <span> have successfully trapped Lancer and his master on the top floor of the Hyatt hotel, however we are unable to do anything as the lower levels have been rigged with various magical traps.” Arriving on scene, The Bloody Crow had received word that Lancer had been cornered, and with every other servant having someone to fight, he decided to come here. While he took pride in his </span>
  <span>Cainhurst</span>
  <span> Knights and their abilities, they were no match for Diarmuid of The Love Spot.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Gazing up he contemplated the choices they had. </span>
  <span>Yes, </span>
  <span>he could send his knights into the hotel and overwhelm the traps but he would lose most of his knights and give his prey ample to escape or plan their defense. </span>
  <span>Plus,</span>
  <span> Caster would be less then please with the avoidable loss of his knights. That left only one option on the table.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Turning to a </span>
  <span>messenger</span>
  <span> he relayed his order. “Request backup from the Choir, we need someone of their </span>
  <span>caliber</span>
  <span> to break down this fortress now!”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>While the </span>
  <span>Cainhurst</span>
  <span> Knights awaited reinforcement from the Choir, high above on the final level of the Hyatt Hotel </span>
  <span>Kayneth</span>
  <span> was looking down on the assembled group of chasers. From the moment that he and Lancer had attempted to leave the docks, they had been attacked by these armored hunters. While they may have been inferior to Lancer, their numbers had prevented any serious casualties among them; choosing to attack whenever a window presented itself.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>One might expect him to ready his defenses, to plan out an escape if anything went wrong, but he had high confidence in his defenses that he had set up. Walking away from the window, he took a seat before pouring himself a glass of wine.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Seeing the nonchalant behavior of her husband, Sola-Ui could only pinch the bridge of her nose at his deluded sense of </span>
  <span>superiority</span>
  <span>. Lancer was currently stationed in front of their door as a last line of defense, so she was left alone with her arrogant husband. Even with death literally right in front of their doorstep, he still took pride in his magus skills. “Is this really the time to relaxing now </span>
  <span>Kayneth</span>
  <span>?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Chuckling at her misplaced fear, he assured her wife. “What is there to worry about my wife? Let our guests enjoy the magical atelier of </span>
  <span>Kayneth</span>
  <span> El-Melloi. Twenty-four field layers. Three mana generators. Dozens of ghosts and evil spirits roaming as guard dogs. Countless traps. Parts of hallways that open out to other worlds.” Laughing as he listed their entire fortifications, there truly wasn’t anything to fear. Those little hunters might have caught him off-guard but here they were worthless beneath his heel. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>If </span>
  <span>Kayneth</span>
  <span> had even bothered to stop his arrogant laughs and humbled up a bit then he would’ve known that the instrument of his destruction had arrived to destroy his false sense of superiority.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Can you do it?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you doubting my abilities Bloody Crow?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Cut the crap Irene, I hate having to work with you so just get this magical fortress shut down already.” Irene was a renown Choir member for her fast efficiency but also her ruthlessness. She cared only for the results and if she had to throw her own humanity to accomplish her goals so be it, she practically had already. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Feeling coy, Irene </span>
  <span>caressed</span>
  <span> the Bloody Crow’s helmet; mocking him. “</span>
  <span>Oh,</span>
  <span> Bloody Crow, if I can bring favor on our lord then you should be rejoicing my friend.” </span>
  <span>However,</span>
  <span> the Bloody Crow was feeling otherwise. Grabbing her hand, he pushed it away from his helmet and held it in a firm grip. “Do not think we have forgotten the tragedies that your church has inflicted on my castle, how you violated my home and at the very least do not think we have forgotten how you murdered innocent </span>
  <span>Iosefka</span>
  <span> in her clinic.”  </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>On the night of Caster’s hunt, </span>
  <span>Iosefka</span>
  <span> had set up a clinic in hopes of treating and protecting innocents from the ruthless hunt. Caster was smitten with her caring and selfless nature and tried to tell other sane humans to seek refuge at her clinic. </span>
  <span>However,</span>
  <span> Irene had found out and taken over the clinic, </span>
  <span>murdered</span>
  
  <span>Iosefka</span>
  <span>, and turn the refugees into her Choir experiments. It was safe to say that when Caster ascended, </span>
  <span>he dealt Irene her punishment that had scared many into </span>
  <span>acting</span>
  <span> in his good graces, lest they experience his anger once more. You thought you knew hell, let Caster change that for you.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Not having a sarcastic remark to fire back, Irene bit her lip as she wrestled her arm free from his grip and continued working. She needed to get in the good graces of Caster once more and if she needed to bring the head of Lancer and his master so be it.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, well, well, what do we have here.” Her insight had allowed her to scan the layout of the hotel’s magical energy and she had to give credit to the impressive magical fortress that Lancer’s master had set up. </span>
  <span>However,</span>
  <span> there was one glaring flaw.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You see Bloody Crow,” Her </span>
  <span>monologue</span>
  <span> had drew in his attention. “While this may be </span>
  <span>impenetrable</span>
  <span> at first glance, no defense is without its holes.” Reaching into her white robes she pulled out a vial of cosmic slugs. Opening the </span>
  <span>lid,</span>
  <span> she allowed the little slugs to crawl out of their confinement. While their stature was small and non-threatening, inside of their little bodies held traces of the </span>
  <span>eldritch</span>
  <span> truth and the Choir had made suitable weapons from them, such as the devastating Call Beyond.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“This trap is impressive but such a trap is very intricate, a pain to restart if the master ever leaves the hotel lest it kill its own master when they return.” Holding up one of the slugs to her eye level, she sent a silent prayer if the being would impart its power to her for just a moment. The little slug lit up, accepting her request. “</span>
  <span>So, </span>
  <span>the system has an identification system, something to identify the master by. This connects the master to the entire mainframe of the trap.” She positioned the slugs as close to the hotel as possible, allowing them to ready up for the next phase.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The Bloody Crow was getting impatient with her ramblings. “Alright then spit it out already.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Chuckling she </span>
  <span>continued</span>
  <span>. “A tiny string connects the master to the trap so all we have to do is overload the trap with magical energy.” All present slugs released their cosmic energy into the magical fortress. The first floor pulsated with blue light before </span>
  <span>traveling</span>
  <span> upward, overloading each trap that it touched until the top floor shined with blue light.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>And a pain wracked scream filled the air as </span>
  <span>Kayneth</span>
  <span> felt the full brunt of magical energy entering through him from his connection to the traps.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“And let forth the hounds of war.” She stood back as the Knights surged into the hotel. She would allow these zealous knights to throw themselves over each other for the prize and when the time was ripe, she would swoop in and take it.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Ascension may no longer be available but being the leader of the Choir for their lord? She briefly considered the idea of being Caster’s consort but shot it down considering that place was already taken by Maria and she did not want to be on the receiving end of her anger when her place as consort was in question.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“No rest for the wicked,” She thought before walking into the hotel.</span>
  
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>At the </span>
  <span>Tohsaka</span>
  <span> Mansion, Tokiomi was currently brooding. He was the Guardian of Fuyuki City, </span>
  <span>responsible</span>
  <span> in protecting the citizens from any supernatural threats. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Now the people he had been protecting with pride had all but disappeared.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Kirei</span>
  <span> and Assassin had confirmed that not a living person was present in the city, only the magus freelancers that he allowed to reside in the city were still alive, and they were being hunted at an alarming rate.  It was if they had simply vanished into thin air.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He was getting reports of the seemingly massive army that had commandeered the city in a mere second, turning landmarks into strategic strongholds, and the other servant and masters hunted with extreme prejudice. When he returned, he had activated the defenses of the household to ensure that no harm would befall his family. After calming down his distressed family, he moved them towards the workshop where they would be safe.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What an interesting turn of events.” </span>
  <span>Coolly</span>
  <span> commented Gilgamesh as he sipped on his glass of wine. “It seems that this will not be so boring after all.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He had to appeal to Archer to help cure this situation before it got any worse. “My king I humbly </span>
  <span>beseech</span>
  <span> you, Caster is playing with your possessions and city; he is tarnishing your name.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Let it be known that Gilgamesh</span>
  <span> did not like his master, in matter of fact he almost despised him. Where was the spine, the drive? All he did was bow his head in hopes of him following his commands. What did he think of him, a fool? The only reason he even allowed him to be his master was because he found his groveling amusing.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“It concerns me not what happens to the city, Caster has provided me with entertainment that I have not experienced in a long time. At the mention of Caster Gilgamesh did not know what to think of him. Somehow, someway Caster seemed familiar to him but he could not place his finger on it. Maybe he possessed divinity like he did or was it something else?</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Master, my king.” </span>
  <span>Kirei</span>
  <span> addressed as he entered the study. He had come back to report his findings from his recon with Assassin.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>Kirei</span>
  <span> report.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Nodding he gave his findings. “</span>
  <span>It's</span>
  <span> as you fear, the control that we’ve had over the city is no more. Our familiars are noticing that Caster has amassed an army able to hold the city indefinitely. I fear that if this continues till day and the missing people are not returned, the Clocktower will intervene.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“And the Holy Grail War will be lost.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>Yes,</span>
  <span> it will.” For </span>
  <span>Kirei</span>
  <span> he did not see this as a disaster like his master did. He knew it was wrong but he took deep pleasure in finding the mangled</span>
  
  <span>bodies of the magus bodies he was sent to rescue. He didn’t </span>
  <span>understand</span>
  <span> why but he couldn’t be </span>
  <span>disgusted</span>
  <span> at Caster’s actions.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Regrettable but-” Whatever Gilgamesh was going to say was cut short as he glared right at </span>
  <span>Tokiomi</span>
  <span> and summoned one his gates to fire a sword right at him. Unable to do anything he helplessly watched the sword fly at him...and pass by his ear, barely grazing it, and strike the darkness. About to ask the king what he had done, a groan could be heard as a </span>
  <span>Yarhar’gul</span>
  <span> hunter that was hiding the darkness slump forward before collapsing, a sword impaled between the lines of his helmet.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“It seems that we have rodents running around.” Gilgamesh walked out, intent on killing the infestation that believed they could invade his garden. He would normally leave such menial tasks to his guards but he felt that he needed to send a message. After all what greater honor was </span>
  <span>there</span>
  <span> then to die by the hand of the true king.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>At the other side of the workshop, in the workshop Rin and her mother, Aoi, were huddling up together as they gleamed the chaos of the city through the eyes of a familiar. As the chaos unfolded Rin hoped that Sakura was doing okay in all this mess. She could tell that her mother was also worried but chose not to say anything.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Hearing the door being knocked on. Rin rushed up to greet her father. Opening the </span>
  <span>door,</span>
  <span> she expected to see her father’s smiling face.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>What she saw instead was the grinning malformed face of a </span>
  <span>Yarhar’gul</span>
  <span> Snatcher behind its hood, looking down on her from his towering position over her; reveling in her despair.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She tried screaming before darkness enveloped her. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>And in the darkness, the faint chimes of a </span>
  <span>lullaby</span>
  <span> could be heard.</span>
  
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>And there it is Chapter 5 complete. To be honest this was hard to piece together because I didn’t know how I wanted the chapter to be made. Originally, I would’ve separated all the encounters in pairs or something but it just didn’t feel right to have the fight scenes also mimic the structure. So, I decided that the encounters would all be on one chapter and the fights be on separate chapters. Allows for all the fights to be meaningful and not rushed. So, expect the next 3-4 chapters to be fight scenes. </p><p>A cookie for anyone that can guess who Gilgamesh is going to fight. </p><p>Well that’s it for now and as always... </p><p>May the Cosmos shine in your favor!!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Confront Thy Demons</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Berserker and Archer fight their battles</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Kariya hated the magus world.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Scratch that he despised it.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>In an alleyway of Fuyuki City, Berserker and </span>
  <span>Brador</span>
  <span> were currently exchanging blows. Every blow that one inflicted on the other shook the buildings surrounding them. Their glee was evident as Brador laughed like a madman while Berserker howled into the night.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Dodging under a swipe of the Bloodletter, Lancelot responded with a swipe of his </span>
  <span>transformed</span>
  <span> pipe with the intent of smashing </span>
  <span>Brador’s</span>
  <span> ribs. Dodging away from the strike the assassin smashed his Bloodletter into the floor. For a second nothing happened until the floor rumbled as multiple bloody jagged spikes erupted from the floor, trying to impale the black knight.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Howling he slammed both his pipes hard onto the floor, shattering from the force. The ensuing shockwave destroyed any frenzied spikes that Brador had produced, the remains </span>
  <span>showering the</span>
  <span> air. Not letting up the </span>
  <span>assault</span>
  <span>, Berserker grabbed the shards of frenzy, turning them into makeshift daggers, and released a barrage of them at </span>
  <span>Brador</span>
  <span>. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Laughing wildly, </span>
  <span>Brador</span>
  <span> destroyed the mini Noble Phantasms with a downward smash of his mace. He didn’t expect to enjoy the match as he was enjoying it now. “More, more, MORE!!” He exclaimed as he stared at his opponent with respect. </span>
  <span>Finally,</span>
  <span> a worthy opponent!</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Show me more!” He asked before settling into a javelin-throwing stance and launching the Bloodletter like a </span>
  <span>missile</span>
  <span>. Running at the assassin, </span>
  <span>Berserker</span>
  <span> slid under the projectile, letting the mace spear shatter the ground behind him, and readying his next attack to which </span>
  <span>Brador</span>
  <span> was readying as well.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Their </span>
  <span>fists</span>
  <span> meeting the cheek of their </span>
  <span>opponent's</span>
  <span> face.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Berserker’s shadowy fist slamming into </span>
  <span>Brador’s</span>
  <span> cheek, breaking some teeth.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Brador’s</span>
  <span> fist punching Berserker’s helmet, cracking a bit of the armor.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Both opponents were so caught up in their bloodlust that they had just resorted to punching each other in the face, waiting to see who was going to fall in the end.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>For Kariya, each second was a living nightmare.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Each punch that Berserker received was a punch to him as the crest worms worked overtime in trying to provide magical energy to the crazed knight. Having just recovered from supplying Berserker at the docks, he had to suffer more now Berserker had lost all restraint.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Collapsing on the ground, Kariya leaned against the wall trying to control his breathing. It seems that the worms’ toll had first been taken on his legs, for he could no longer muster the energy to move; allowing them to shake uncontrollably from the abuse. Feeling blood trickle down his mouth, Kariya felt like he was in the middle of a fervent dream. It was starting to be difficult for Kariya to focus on the battle that his servant was fighting.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Yeah,</span>
  <span> his servant.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Why?</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Why did he join in the first place?</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Kariya,” A soft spoken voice called out to him.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>There Kariya no longer found himself at the alleyway. The night had </span>
  <span>given</span>
  <span> way to the sun as he found himself back overlooking the Fuyuki sunset. On his right was the women he adored.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Aoi </span>
  <span>Zenjou</span>
  <span>, his childhood friend that he loved above all else.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You daydreaming again Kariya?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“A-Ah yeah sorry,” He didn’t know how to respond to the sudden events unfolding. Her giggling response elevated his heartbeat to new heights. Yes, this was the women he loved.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The clash of metal colliding with brick snapped him back to reality as he witnessed Berserker slamming into a wall. Escaping the </span>
  <span>rubble,</span>
  <span> he tried to fight back but his movements were getting more sluggish as he tried to dodge </span>
  <span>Brador’s</span>
  <span> strikes, with some success. </span>
  <span>However,</span>
  <span> Kariya knew that Berserker could not keep up with </span>
  <span>Brador’s</span>
  <span> stamina.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Lancelot was running out of mana.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>More specifically, he could not handle Lancelot’s demands of magical energy.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“More.” He muttered under his breath as he placed a hand over his heart. “More, more, more!” He muttered to himself as he forced the worms to consume more of his body, starting to now feast on important organs. He cared not for the consequences of his actions.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Because for Aoi he would give anything.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Even his life.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>As Berserker became stronger from his master’s </span>
  <span>self-sacrificing</span>
  <span>, now striking with twice the force. Kariya now knew he was dying as hallucinations of the past begun blending in with reality. He had to stifle a laugh at the notion of “your life flashing before your eyes” as it was becoming true for him right now.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>I'm</span>
  <span> sorry,” He wailed as visions of the past were brought up, lamenting at what he had thrown away. Tears now trailing down his face.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>When he finally realized the </span>
  <span>feelings</span>
  <span> he held for Aoi.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>I'm</span>
  <span> sorry,” He repeated.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>When they would spend the day blissfully together, without the worries of a magus life.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>When he would treat her to her favorite ice cream, how her face lit up when she ate her ice cream cone.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>I'm</span>
  <span> sorry.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>When he didn’t try to </span>
  <span>convince</span>
  <span> Aoi to run away with him when he announced he was leaving the </span>
  <span>Matou</span>
  <span> family.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>When he didn’t say anything when Aoi announced her wedding to Tokiomi.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>I'm</span>
  <span> sorry,” It was beginning harder to stay awake now. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>When he noticed the bruises that Aoi had tried to hide when he spoke with her and said nothing about them.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>When he couldn’t protect Sakura from his grandfather.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Dammit, dammit!” He cursed under his breath as the pain was becoming unbearable now. Maybe he should stop now, the women of his dreams no longer in his reach. “No!” He denied as he clenched his fist, gaining the resolve to continue. All that mattered was that she was happy and if </span>
  <span>delivering</span>
  <span> Sakura free from his family’s </span>
  <span>grasp would</span>
  <span> make her happy then he would </span>
  <span>sacrifice</span>
  <span> himself for that.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>However,</span>
  <span> fate was not on his side today as the crest worms in his body could no longer supply Berserker with magic energy.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>With a pained howl Berserker dissolved into a smoke of darkness, for he could no longer fight and had to revert back into spirit form so that he would not materialize back to the Throne.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>However,</span>
  <span> that left Kariya defenseless.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Sighing in disappointment at having his fight interrupted, </span>
  <span>Brador</span>
  <span> walked up to the dying Kariya. “Well, well looks like you’ll be the first to die tonight Kariya.” Preparing to deliver the finishing blow, he raised the Bloodletter above his head.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“No, no, no,” Even in his near dead state Kariya was still fighting. “Not like this!”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Until the sound of a trashcan falling over saved him. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Both of them looked up to see two girls staring at them, panting as if they had been running from something. For Brador they looked like a regular pair for sisters, but for Kariya...</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It was Rin and Sakura.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>They were clearly not Aoi’s daughters but in his deluded state he had identified the children as them, no longer able to make a distinction between past and reality. Hearing </span>
  <span>Brador</span>
  <span> click his tongue he looked up and saw </span>
  <span>Brador’s</span>
  <span> fist tighten around his weapon.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He was going to kill them!</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Gathering up the last vestiges of strength Kariya stood up and socked the assassin in the face. Stumbling around from punching the assassin in the face, he saw that </span>
  <span>Brador</span>
  <span> was </span>
  <span>undeterred</span>
  <span> from the punch. Looking back at the trembling children Kariya made a choice.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>While </span>
  <span>Brador</span>
  <span> charged the children.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Kariya threw himself in front of them, not caring if his mind had failed to tell him that they were not Rin and Sakura.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Aoi I’m sorry,” He lamented one last time as he closed his eyes, expecting the spikes of the Bloodletter to pierce him.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He was not expecting a punch to the gut however.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Collapsing to the ground, Kariya looked up at </span>
  <span>Brador</span>
  <span> as he was losing </span>
  <span>consciousness</span>
  <span>. Kneeling before him, </span>
  <span>Brador</span>
  <span> offered him a sincere smile that he would’ve never thought possible from the previous bloodlust he exhibited.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Looks like Caster was right about you, sleep well because soon you’ll face the big man himself next.” Was all heard before darkness took him.</span>
  
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>The moment that it had been revealed that Caster’s forces had infiltrated his household, so too had the alarms in his workshop activate.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Rushing to his workshop, with </span>
  <span>Kirei</span>
  <span> on his right and Gilgamesh behind them killing any of the hunters that had gotten in the household, Tokiomi prayed that nothing bad had befallen his family.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It seems that his prayers were answered as he entered the workshop, seeing the defensive boundary field protecting his beloved.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Well half-answered as he saw that Rin was nowhere with her mother.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh </span>
  <span>Tokiomi</span>
  <span>!” Aoi cried as she collapsed onto him, catching her last second as tears drenched his coat. “They took her! O God they took her </span>
  <span>Tokiomi</span>
  <span>!” </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Their daughter being kidnapped was not good news as he told </span>
  <span>Kirei</span>
  <span> to order Assassin to search the household. Consoling his </span>
  <span>wife,</span>
  <span> he assured her that Rin would be returned unharmed. “Then what about Sakura!? She’s in danger too!”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>While </span>
  <span>Tokiomi</span>
  <span> loved his wife very dearly, she did not share the same views as him when it came to the magus lifestyle. No family could raise two </span>
  <span>magi</span>
  <span>, it could be only be one, and Rin was both older and held more potential than her sister. He loved both his children dearly but Sakura had a gift for </span>
  <span>magecraft</span>
  <span> and he would not allow it to go to waste. Shouldn’t his wife be happier? That her child was going to be a great magus one day.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“The Matous will take care of her,” Was all he said before leaving the workshop. He knew that they would be having another argument, similar to the time when he decided to give away Sakura to the </span>
  <span>Matou</span>
  <span> family. However, he was the man of the house and at the end of the day his word was law. If push came to shove, he wouldn’t </span>
  <span>hesitate</span>
  <span> in teaching Aoi a lesson. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>Kirei</span>
  <span> report” Chanting a quick spell to dry off Aoi’s tears on his coat, he hoped that Kirei had something for him.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>Yes,</span>
  <span> my master, one of the Assassins has located a sizeable group trying to escape the house. One of them is holding a bag that is big enough to hold Rin. They are escaping to the roof of the house.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Then what are we waiting for? There are rodents to eradicate, believing they can enter into my domain without permission.” Gilgamesh entered the scene, a still struggling </span>
  <span>Yahar’gul</span>
  <span> hunter being dragged by a chain.  Looking down on the feeble hunter, he tightened the chain to choke the hunter to death.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>However even from the King’s watch a lone </span>
  <span>Yahar’gul</span>
  <span> hunter had been watching in the shadows. Relaying the confirmation that they had taken the bait, they moved on to phase 2.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Inform the nurse that she’ll be having visitors very soon.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The rooftop of the </span>
  <span>Toshaka</span>
  <span> Mansion was nothing special, it was just a plain roof that the Tohsaka family used whenever they needed to train their magic that might possibly damage the roof. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It was up there that the kidnapping group broke open the door. Four </span>
  <span>Yahar’gul</span>
  <span> hunters and one </span>
  <span>Yahar’gul</span>
  <span> Snatcher quickly moved through the door. “Dammit, dammit,” One of the hunters muttered as he and another quickly barred the door from entry. Such a tactic was useless as an explosion blew both them and door to ash as Gilgamesh and Tokiomi walked in.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The other two hunters looked at each other and nodding at the same conclusion they had arrived at before rushing the servant. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Mongrels,” Was all the King said as he shot two more swords from his gates to which the hunters didn’t even try to dodge from. It was </span>
  <span>suspicious</span>
  <span> that they weren’t even trying to put a fight, almost like that they had a plan in place. Whatever it was, Gilgamesh pushed such </span>
  <span>thoughts</span>
  <span> from his mind as he summoned a set of chains to </span>
  <span>ensnare</span>
  <span> the Snatcher, dropping his satchel.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Emerging from the depths of the satchel, Rin started to run to her father, who was at the other side of the roof. “Daddy!” She cried.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It was only when she was halfway that everything went wrong.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Specifically,</span>
  <span> when Gilgamesh started to hear a lullaby</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Not just any lullaby, it was one that he knew very well.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It was a Sumerian lullaby.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Rin’s happy cries were cut short as a shadow dropped in right on her, covering her with its shade form. The wraith was covered by a black cloak, tattered wings that emphasized the grim reaper look that the shade had. Standing from its kneeling position, the shade lifted up its head to look upon its visitors. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Only for the head of the shade to be invisible, the only indication of the head being there was the shawl that adorned it head. Standing up to its towering height, the shade revealed its multiple scythe arms </span>
  <span>menacingly</span>
  <span>.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>This was </span>
  <span>Mergo’s</span>
  <span> Wet Nurse, a shade that took care of infant Great Ones.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Gilgamesh could feel Rin’s life force still beating within the shade’s cloak. He could also feel the divinity rolling off of the shade. “So, Caster sends a worthy mongrel after me.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>Oh,</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span> were the previous </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>Yahar’guls</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span> not to your liking oh King of Heroes?”</span>
  </em>
  <span> The Wet Nurse’s raspy voice </span>
  <span>resonated</span>
  <span> throughout the roof.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Hmph and what </span>
  <span>challenge</span>
  <span> would regular humans give me, The King that stands above all else?” He </span>
  <span>challenged</span>
  <span>.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The Nurse laughed, though it sounded more sinister than amusing, as it stared at the King. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“You belittle humanity O great king,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She mocked before throwing two arms up in the air, a purple ball of shadows gathering up. Letting its arms drop the shadowy ball dispersed and covered the entire roof.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“You think humanity is weak,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Its voice echoed as the shade disappeared into the darkness, its presence now seemed to be everywhere now.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I shall teach </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>you how</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span> essential humanity truly is in your tale, King of </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>Uruk</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> The shade taunted as the smoke dispersed as Gilgamesh found himself standing in a place that he never thought he would see again.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>No longer was he standing on the pale stone tiles of the Tohsaka Mansion</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Now he found himself standing in his throne room back at </span>
  <span>Uruk</span>
  <span>, the </span>
  <span>chiseled</span>
  <span> walls that made his throne room illuminated by torches. Looking everywhere it was the same as he had </span>
  <span>remembered</span>
  <span> it. The </span>
  <span>fine</span>
  
  <span>tapestries</span>
  <span> that lined the walls, the fine red carpet that lead up to the throne, and the lights of his city still being magnificent past the balconies of his castle.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“For who is Gilgamesh without Enkidu?”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Hearing the voice near him, he turned his head toward the exit, expecting to see the towering shade. He was not ready to see his only friend standing by the doorway instead.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It was not the same Enkidu that he had grown to cherish.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>No longer was it the same flawless green haired clay being that he loved. Now it was a mockery of them that stood before him.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You dare mock me with this!”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Mock you, no we wish to enlighten you,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> From the fake Enkidu, the Wet Nurse spoke. The bastardized version of the clay being was nothing like Enkidu. Flawless skin was now chipped, blackened. Their once white sclera was now a black void with the only contrast being their turquoise pupils. Smoke billowed out of their mouth whenever they spoke to him. The only thing that remained the same was their long green hair, though he wished that wasn’t the only thing that remained the same.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“For without humanity this would be the Enkidu you would have faced.”</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Tensing his fist, Gilgamesh tried to deny the facts that the Wet Nurse was present him. “No” he thought.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Oh yes, for without the kind soul of Shamhat to teach Enkidu what it meant to be human then the beast you see before you would’ve been used for what he was created for, your greatest opponent; not your greatest friend”</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  <span>No!</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>No!</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>NO!</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I refuse to believe that!” He roared as he activated the full might of Gates. Swords, lances, axes, and many more joined his side as he launched them all at the abomination that stood before him</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He would not acknowledge the fact that this was the Enkidu that he would meet if it wasn’t for humanity. He had always thought that Enkidu was who they were because of him, not humanity. For in his eyes, humanity was feeble. What worth was </span>
  <span>there</span>
  <span> to be found in their </span>
  <span>insignificant</span>
  <span> lives?</span>
  
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>And done! Chapter 6 is done! To be honest I wrote this pretty fast as I was struck by this bolt of inspiration to write this chapter. Next chapter involves Rider’s and Lancer’s battles. After that will be Saber’s and Kiritsugu’s battle. </p><p>I wanted Gilgamesh to undergo this change, that all characters will go through, and the only path I saw was his eventual change from his archer to caster form. Hence the Enkidu appearance (don’t worry other fate characters relevant to other servants will appear) </p><p>Welp that’s it for now and as always... </p><p>May the Cosmos shine in your favor this day!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Maddening Howls</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Rider and Lancer engage their opponents</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Well that’s Chapter 7 finished with. Poor Sola-Ui, I have much diabolical things planned for you *maniacal laughter echoes in the background*. Not much to say here but the next chapter with Saber and Kiritsugu will have their fights next. I’ll try to make the fight scenes much better than the way I handled Lancer’s fight. <br/>Never would I have thought that this story would be getting such positive feedback! I’m so thankful for all you guys loving my work. </p><p>That’s it for now and as always... </p><p>May the Cosmos shine in your favor this day! </p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>On the Fuyuki Bridge.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Rider was enjoying himself, very immensely.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He had never enjoyed the </span>
  <span>mediocracy</span>
  <span> of life, in fact his conquest that would define him was his rebellion against fate. He wanted to be the master of his fate, to live as he chose, to live without regrets.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Dodging the </span>
  <span>fiery</span>
  <span> maw of the Watchdog and the singing blade of the Keeper, Rider grinned. It was only a few minutes into their tussle and already this pair had impressed them with their teamwork. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>An army was made not by their strength or their numbers but rather their comradeship with each other as they walked on the fields of death. For what greater motivator to fight to the bitter death than to fight with those you have bonded with over the campfires, sharing stories and fears with each other. It was a point that Iskandar drove when he recruited new soldiers to his army, always ensuring that they would find a place within his army.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The Keeper and Watchdog shared the same bond that his army had fostered long ago. Neither of them </span>
  <span>was</span>
  <span> a match for him, it was abundantly clear from their first charge. However, where they may have lacked in strength, they made up for in teamwork. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Having abandoned the Gordius Wheel for better mobility, he was always on the defensive. The Watchdog would always open up, either by trying take a bite at him or wreathing itself in flames and charging right at him. Such attacks could be easily telegraphed but such attacks were merely a front for the Keeper to ready its own attack.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Dodging from the Watchdog’s attack, the Keeper would always be right behind it, trying to find the tiniest of cracks in his defense with his blade. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>A perfect compliment.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The Watchdog, heavy attacks but slow in execution.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The Keeper, light attacks but a whirlwind when facing them.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>As Waver watched from the backlines, he knew that Rider was going to slip up eventually. He had already arrived at the same conclusion that Rider had, that Iskandar was hopelessly outmatched against their teamwork. “I can help,” He thought but as he looked down at his legs, they were shaking in fear. Fear that he would be losing his life if he did try to help.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>No that wasn’t it. Bringing up his shaking hands Waver knew that death wasn’t a problem. A magus </span>
  <span>walked</span>
  <span> with death every day; a spell that was mis-chanted resulted in a very painful death. Magi from a young age were drilled to not fear death and as a result many magi referred to death as a nuisance.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The problem was...</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He feared that helping wouldn’t do anything, it wouldn’t cement any friendship or gratitude from Iskandar.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He knew such a line of thought was childish but his upbringing had instilled to him this fear. The first lesson that Magi were taught was to be ruthless. Friendships and bonds were meant to be </span>
  <span>exploited</span>
  <span> for a person to use so they could achieve their own desires. The Clocktower on the surface was this place to learn, for magi to refine their skills and make a name for themselves. In reality it was a lion’s den, a place where you shook with one hand and kept a dagger on the other.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It was here that Waver learned the truth about magi friendships.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“You’re wrong!” Waver yelled as he stood up from his seat in his classroom back at the Clocktower. They were reviewing a lesson on traditional magic circle designs, His teacher, </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>Kayneth</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span> El-</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>Melloi</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>, was a firm believer in the </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>traditional</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span> magic rules that their forefathers had set down. Waver was not however, he wanted to break from all these traditions that restricted them and wanted to push for new ways to do </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>magecraft</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>.</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>Oh,</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span> Waver and do tell the class why you believe such </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>a</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span> essential design can be considered wrong?” </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>Kayneth</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>challenged</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>.</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Feeling bold, Waver accepted his </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>challenge</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>. “If we utilize this old circle then we’d wasting precious materials that could be used for other things, with this new design we can cut the waste of such materials.”</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“And do you have proof that such a thing works?”</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Yeah!” Gesturing to his other classmates, Waver asked them to reply. “Tell him guys.” Yet all he got was continued silence. Looking in shock, those he had considered close friends looked away. Their shadowed faces focused their gaze on anything in the room.</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>All except him</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Breaking his trip down memory lane, Waver was at war with himself as he saw Rider get pushed back even more. They could risk a Noble Phantasm but that would mean drawing the attention of </span>
  <span>anyone</span>
  <span> else on the vicinity and being thrusted into a whole new Holy Grail War, he wouldn’t be able to tell from friend and foe. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Rider was someone different, someone unlike the magi he knew from the Clocktower. While they shook hands with a dagger behind their back, Iskandar shook with both hands, devoid of any schemes. Looking around the </span>
  <span>scenery</span>
  <span> had changed as the battle had pushed them towards the city and away from the bridge. One building caught his attention as a plan was built in his head.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>An incredibly stupid plan, one a magus would never do.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>But for Waver Velvet, a magus that didn’t follow the rules.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It might just work.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“HEY!” He yelled as everyone fighting ceased their </span>
  <span>quarrel</span>
  <span> and just now stared at him. Steeling himself, he pointed a finger right at his intended target. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The imposing Watchdog.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>Man,</span>
  <span> Caster must be some lame servant seeing how he has to </span>
  <span>delegate</span>
  <span> such important work to his underdogs. Maybe he’s just really weak that a little mutt has to do a job for him.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Silence.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>All that remained was silence.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Wincing at his horrible attempt of mockery Waver looked up at </span>
  <span>Rider</span>
  <span>, who was split between looking proud and horrified. The Keeper just stared at him while the Watchdog...</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Was just standing still, its fire dulling for a moment.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Another second passed.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Then another.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>All of a </span>
  <span>sudden,</span>
  <span> the flames of the Watchdog flared up, it eyes now burning with an intensity greater than before. Waver did an internal cheer seeing how he’s plan worked.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The now enraged Watchdog now glared at him before running at him, now on a quest for </span>
  <span>vengeance</span>
  <span>.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Paling at how his plan worked a bit too well, Waver ran for dear life as he moved to an alleyway. Even having a sizeable lead on the burning hell hound, he could feel the roaring flames getting hotter with each second. He was tempted to look back at his impending doom but he pushed down that urge as it would result in his death.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Ducking into an alleyway, Waver heard a loud thud as the first part of his plan had worked. Turning around the Watchdog had gotten its massive armored head stuck in the alleyway, the rest of its body too big to fit in the alleyway. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“HAHA! Eat it you overgrown mutt!” He laughed as he mocked the stuck Watchdog with his finger. </span>
  <span>However,</span>
  <span> while Waver had a seemingly flawless plan, there were other variables that he forgot to account for.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>One of those variables being just how enraged the Watchdog could get.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>With a loud burst, the Watchdog became even more bathed in fire. </span>
  <span>It's</span>
  <span> actually body now hidden behind this veil of fire in which only its piercing eyes could be seen. With a loud howl the Watchdog started to force his way into the alleyway, cracking and destroying the building foundations as it slowly forced its way through.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Scrambling back, Waver ran as hard as he could to flee the devil behind him. Exhaustion kicking in, he turned the corner but to only back up in horror. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>For he just ran into a dead-end.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>About to run back, he fell on to his butt as he backed away from the Watchdog that had finally caught up. Hastily trying to think up of a back-up plan, Waver’s thoughts were cut short as his back had hit the wall. Looking up at how there was no ladder for him to climb, he was a prisoner to whatever the Watchdog had planned for him.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Realizing that his prey was now trapped, the Watchdog took its sweet time in reveling with his despair. Slowly creeping forward, the hellhound mocked Waver. Puffing its throat out, it let the magma illuminate the darkness of the alley way. Stopping just a few feet from the master, the Watchdog howled loudly into the night, declaring its triumphant hunt. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Is that what you think huh?” Standing up from his position Waver showed a grin that would’ve made the King of Conquerors proud. Holding his hand up high Waver revealed his true plan from the beginning. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Checkmate!” He yelled </span>
  <span>triumphantly</span>
  <span> as a magic circle flared to life on the wall behind him. Usually it took a magus 30 minutes to set up a </span>
  <span>fully</span>
  <span> working circle but Waver’s ingenious design had cut down the time in half and had downsized it so all he had to do was make a mock sketch of the circle before running off and attracting the Watchdog. With a creaking sound and the sound of flowing water had finally clued in the Watchdog what the building he had lured him into.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>A water purification plant.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Water beats fire after all.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>With the help of his magic circle the water pressure inside the plant had been pushed past its limit. In a loud explosion a vast amount of water spilled out of the wall. All the Watchdog could do was lower its ears and let out a pitiful whine before it was swallowed up by the tide. The buildings that the Watchdog had bulldozed its </span>
  <span>way through</span>
  <span> creaked loudly before collapsing under the pressure.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Spilling out back into the main street, Waver clawed his way back onto the sidewalk. Holding his </span>
  <span>drenched</span>
  <span> hair up he </span>
  <span>begun</span>
  <span> to cough up any of the water that may have accidentally drank. His clothes were drenched to the core and his eyes burned from having them open in trying to find a way out in the murky water. Heaving the last drops of water from his stomach, Waver addressed the aftermath of his handiwork. The streets had been absolutely flooded as the water, still pouring from the building, had continued to travel into the </span>
  <span>city</span>
  <span>; almost making a little river.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>With a tired laugh, Waver fell on his butt as he basked in his victory. He did it!</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>A growl said otherwise.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>OH,</span>
  <span> COME ON!” He yelled as the Watchdog came into his view. It wasn’t that his attack was successful as the Watchdog was no longer wreathed in flames, its once bright flames now reduced to tiny embers on its body. Its fur was absolutely soaked as the hellhound glared at the feeble master that had tricked it.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>However,</span>
  <span> both had forgotten they had a partner in battle that they had left. While the Keeper was a great warrior, he was no match for Iskandar in a straight-up battle and with its partner missing from action...</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Rider’s signature war cry echoed across the street as he jumped onto the hellhound, rodeoing it. With a frantic howl the Watchdog desperately tried to buckle the rodeoing servant but with a yell Iskandar plunged his sword into the head of the hellhound. The struggling increased but a moment later the hellhound collapsed, dead.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>With a huff Rider wrenched his sword free from the corpse before it disappeared into a cloud of mist. Walking over, he took a seat next to Waver as the two men sat in silence.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Until Waver started to laugh loudly into the night. Rider stared at him before joining in his joyous laughter with his own. Letting the absurdity of the past hour sink in, the two laughed their troubles away.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>A master and servant had walked into this battle, at odds with each other</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Now they would walk out of it as equals.</span>
  
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>In the Hyatt Hotel, Lancer was not in good position as he dodged a feint from a knight before countering and stabbing him with </span>
  <span>Gae</span>
  <span> Dearg. He knew everything was not well when the lights shut off and his master begun screaming in pain. He was about to rush to his side when a bullet was fired at him from the Bloody Crow, who arrived in tow with his knights. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The current battlefield favored Diarmuid as in order to get to the penthouse they would have to cross the Atrium. It served as the Hyatt Hotel’s ballroom and the </span>
  <span>wide-open</span>
  <span> space gave him ample room to dodge and break up the group of knights that tried to swarm him.  If he kept this up then his master would be able to recover and then they could regroup.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>However, he had severely underestimated the strength of the Bloody Crow as he was an equal in terms of skill. Backing away from a strike, he cursed as he found himself surrounded by all sides. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Back away,” The Bloody Crow commanded as he walked into the ring and pointed his sword at Lancer. “I shall deal with him myself.” Having their orders, the knights resolutely stood in place, swords stabbed into the floor in honor.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“In honor of my King and Queen, I, The Bloody Crow, </span>
  <span>challenge</span>
  <span> you to a duel!”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Smiling at the offer, Lancer responded in kind. “Very well, I, Diarmuid </span>
  <span>Ua</span>
  
  <span>Duibhne</span>
  <span>, accept your duel in honor of my master.” </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>As they both stood just a few feet from each other, they bowed to each other. From one knight to another. No personal feelings or grudges here, this was just two knights trying to </span>
  <span>fulfill</span>
  <span> their oath to their respective kings.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>And for a moment there was a silence, nothing in the ballroom moved. One could drop a nail and it would have the effect of a bomb.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Then as if </span>
  <span>simultaneously</span>
  <span> deciding it was time, begun to move at each other. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The </span>
  <span>Chikage</span>
  <span> ready to drink the blood of is opponent.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Gae</span>
  <span> Dearg and </span>
  <span>Gae</span>
  
  <span>Buidhe</span>
  <span> poised to strike.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Meeting in the middle, the two begun to weave through each other’s strikes; unable to land a devasting blow on the other.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>All the while a certain schemer moved behind the shadows, ready to kill their original prey.</span>
  
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>“Sola-Ui how is Master?” Asked Lancer from his mental link as he crossed blades with the Bloody Crow. While he fought, Sola-Ui was tasked in trying to nurse </span>
  <span>Kayneth</span>
  <span> back to health. Even in the darkness of their penthouse, she could still try to work on her husband.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry Lancer, all he needs is rest and he’ll be up in no time,” She lied as she cut their link so that he could focus on his fight, no need to worry about his master’s condition. Heaving a tired sigh, she looked at her husband’s scarred body. Whatever </span>
  <span>magecraft</span>
  <span> they had pulled off had severely damaged his </span>
  <span>magical</span>
  <span> circuits. The influx of magic had been too much for his circuits to handle, resulting in them popping like </span>
  <span>balloons</span>
  <span>. He still had some magic circuits left in his body that she was able to save </span>
  <span>but, in the end,</span>
  <span> his current circuits were a far cry from what it originally had been.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She would’ve left this sorry excuse of a magus behind, let him die from his wounds but not only would Lancer be distraught but she needed a </span>
  <span>scapegoat</span>
  <span> in these uncertain times. While she did have some fair knowledge on how to use his Mystic Code, Volumen </span>
  <span>Hydragyrum</span>
  <span>, </span>
  <span>there</span>
  <span> was a reason why he was its master.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Her brooding was interrupted when the door creaked open, if Lancer hadn’t given them an all-clear then...</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Dragging her </span>
  <span>comatose</span>
  <span> husband’s body, she hid themselves behind the kitchen counter as their visitor scanned the room. She held her breath in terror as the visitor seemingly spoke to herself.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Hmm it seems that no one’s here,” Irene said as she scanned the room. She knew that the two masters were still in the room, after all this room only had one exit and that a very noticeable blood trail was leading to the kitchen. She wanted to...enjoy the hunt for as long as she could. After all, it was amusing how far the human mind would go in order to outlive death</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Feigning</span>
  <span> innocence, she pretended to look around the room. “</span>
  <span>Oh,</span>
  <span> my it seems that I was a bit too slow, maybe I should go look outside for them.” Keeping up the act, she closed the door from the inside before sneaking back into the shadows.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Mentally counting to ten, Sola-Ui peeked her head from the kitchen counter. Seeing how the visitor seemingly left the room she silently moved to the door, dragging her </span>
  <span>husband's</span>
  <span> still comatose body with her. “Just a bit more,” If she could just get out of here then maybe she could get out of this ordeal alive. If she wasn’t so set on the idea of escaping then maybe she could’ve </span>
  <span>dodged</span>
  <span> the strike that was aiming for her back</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Sola-Ui gave a pained shout as </span>
  <span>the steel</span>
  <span> edges of a whip slashed her back. Unable to deal with the pain she dropped </span>
  <span>Kayneth’s</span>
  <span> body before joining him on the floor. She was about to chant a spell to ward off the intruder but her body was unresponsive to her commands.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Poison!?” She thought in distress as the world around her was fading to black. Holstering her Threaded Cane, Irene kneeled in front of the poisoned Sola-Ui with a sadistic smile on her face.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I had originally come here for the master but you my little princess,” Cupping Sola-Ui's face, she leaned in closer to whisper the last words that she would hear before blacking out.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Will make a fine experiment my dear.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Back at the ballroom Diarmuid was getting paranoid. He had been trying to contact Sola-Ui but to no avail. Noticing his </span>
  <span>distress,</span>
  <span> the Bloody Crow backed off from their current exchange of blows. Looking around the room he noticed </span>
  <span>that</span>
  <span> Irene was nowhere near them. “That </span>
  <span>damm</span>
  <span> vixen did it again, dishonorable curs like her have no honor for duels between knights.” Tipping his helmet in regret, the Bloody Crow apologized.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Forgive me Lancer, you were </span>
  <span>an</span>
  <span> honorable servant to clash swords with. You do your lord honor with your skills, However...” He motioned for his knights to retreat from the hotel. Joining them he spared Lancer one last glance.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“We shall resume our duel in a better place and time, but first finish your duel with Saber. I shall not fight a worthy opponent that has already pledged a battle to another.” With that he departed.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Rushing back into the penthouse, Lancer stared in horror as he saw his master’s wounded body </span>
  <span>lying</span>
  <span> on the floor and his wife nowhere to be seen. Cursing in Celtic, he was about to run off to try and find the culprit until he felt that something was flying towards the hotel at high speeds. Quickly grabbing his master and putting him on his shoulder, he jumped out of the window.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The next second later a cosmic laser decimated the lower floors of the Hyatt Hotel, courtesy of Amygdala. Without a stable structure to keep the hotel standing, the Hyatt Hotel collapsed in a massive cloud of smoke and debris.</span>
  
  
  
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Dancing With Death</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Saber and Kiritsugu have their battle</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>At the coastline roads of Fuyuki City. </p><p>Saber was out of her league. </p><p>Narrowly ducking under the Rakuyo’s blade, its steel edge barely cutting her cheek, she forced herself to put some distance between her and Maria. From the beginning of their duel, Maria had been unrelenting with her assault, easily stepping into striking distance with her Quickstep. </p><p>If she had been at full strength then she could keep up with Maria’s insane speed but her left arm still suffered from the previous wound that Lancer’s Gae Buidhe had inflicted. It was a wound that could never heal unless the lance was destroyed and while a Command Seal may be able to nullify the effects, it was still a gamble. </p><p>“Dear hasn’t being nobility taught you not to dance with a preoccupied mind,” Taunted Maria as she feinted a strike with the Rakuyo’s dagger. Falling for the feint, Artoria tried to block the dagger with Excalibur. “Otherwise the other nobles will devour you like wolves,” Hooking the holy blade with the hilt of the dagger, Maria pushed it away from her body as the other blade of the Rakuyo came for Saber’s abdomen. With the finesse of being the King of Knights, she was able to move her body so that the blade only grazed her armor. </p><p>Trying to make some kind of opening she grabbed Maria’s outstretched hand that held the blade with an iron grip. Not letting go for any reason, she charged up some mana into her shoulder. With a yell she bashed her shoulder into Maria with a mighty boom that launched her into the air. </p><p>With the finesse and grace of being a lady of Cainhurst and of the Astral Clocktower, Maria immediately took control of her falling form. Whipping out an Evelyn, an elegant firearm that Cainhurst Knights used, she fired a couple of shots at Saber, which she blocked with Excalibur, before landing on the ground with the finesse of an acrobatic. </p><p>“Dear oh dear such an unrefined battle style you have their, slamming into your opponents like that? If I didn’t know any better, you’d be the King of Barbarians not King of Knights,” Mocked Maria as she winked at the enraged Artoria. </p><p>“Don’t worry about her Saber! She’s trying to distract you!” From the sidelines, Irisviel delegated herself to the role of supporting Saber and providing her prana. </p><p>Giving her a small smile and a nod of gratitude, Saber cooled her head before she did something rash. “And you Lady Maria, is it not unbecoming of a knight to slander their opponent?” </p><p>Accepting the unspoken challenge of wits, Maria fired her own back. “How is one a knight if they allow such a statement to rattle them, we are supposed be etiquette given form. If you allow such an attack on your character to affect you than you are a poor knight.” Feeling the urge to dig the knife a little bit deeper, she smiled knowingly at Saber. “Is that why you never saw your son Mordred as a legitimate heir to Camelot? Was it because she was too brutish to be the next King of Knights?” </p><p>Saber felt something snap at the mention of her child, Mordred. Glaring daggers, she shouted her anger. “How dare you!” Pushing mana into her feet, she shot forward like a bullet. Within an instant she was face to face with the Cainhurst noble. </p><p>Laughing softly, Maria led Saber along like a bull rider would wave a red cape in front of a raging bull. Easily stepping out of strikes that shook the ground and tore up the road, she would respond with clever strikes with the Rakuyo.  Saber was so enraged that she didn’t even bother to dodge most attacks, she just let her armor take the force of the strikes. With a shout she slammed Excalibur into the ground, creating a big shockwave.  </p><p>Easily predicting the shockwave, Maria backflipped over the shockwave before landing on the railing of the road overlooking the sea, the waves beneath them trembling from the exchange of blows up above. </p><p>“Oh, how cute, like mother like daughter,” Cooed Maria. </p><p>“You dare!” Saber was beyond furious by now. </p><p>“Oh? I was under the impression that you hated your daughter dear Artoria,” Stepping off her perch, Maria surveyed the area around them. It was if a tornado had come and destroyed everything. The road was no longer fit for driving and the forestry around them had been torn from their roots. It was a miracle that Irisviel and the car had survived intact from the force of nature known as King Arthur. Standing a few feet in front of Saber, she adopted a curious face.  </p><p>“I mean if you truly loved her then you’ve would’ve claimed her as your child.” Leveling a soul-piercing gaze at Artoria that stopped her in her tracks.  It was as if she was evaluating her entire soul with just a look of her eyes. </p><p>“I...,” She stuttered trying to make a comeback. </p><p>Not letting the battle just stop there from the exchange of dialogue, Maria stabbed both of her blades into her chest. Irisviel and Saber both stared in horror as the blades protruded out of her chest. Their horror could only be multiplied as Maria seamlessly pulled the now bloodier and longer blades of the Rakuyo with little to no difficulty, as if she was just spreading butter on a piece of toast. </p><p>Not letting the horror set in fully, Maria shot up into the air, blood trailing her blades that made a spectacle off of it. From the air she slammed down onto Saber, who was hard-pressed to hold the now awakened frenzy of the Rakuyo. Putting more effort into her strike, Maria forced Saber to look into her now blood red eyes that had replaced a once calm blue. </p><p>“There is no hesitation for a knight! Now answer me yes or no? There is no maybe! Did you care for your son,” Leaving no room to allow Artoria to leave she pressed the Rakuyo even harder. </p><p>“Do I love Mordred?” She thought as the force of the Rakuyo faded away as she thought hard on the question. A memory of her brash son came to mind, her grinning face as she complimented her skills on the battlefield. Yes, she was a bit brash, arrogant of her skills, but in the end, she saw something in Mordred that she thought that she would never see again. </p><p>She saw herself, the little girl before the sword, before the burden of salvation was placed on her shoulders. </p><p>She may have forgotten the true reason why she never allowed Mordred to succeed her throne but, in her heart, she knew the answer. </p><p>“Yes, I do care for her!” She shouted as with newly invigorated strength pushed Maria off of her. With a yell she twirled around, energy gathering around Excalibur, before slamming into Maria. Unable to match the might of Excalibur, Maria was launched away from her. This time she could not land elegantly as tumbled around for a while on the ground before she stopped. </p><p>Standing up, Maria dusted her clothes off before smiling proudly at Artoria. Clapping she gave her praise. “There is the conviction that I would expect from the King of Knights. Finally, the little girl holding a sword is gone and the legendary knight has now taken her place.” </p><p>“Thank you, Maria for your words; they have reminded me of my conviction that I feared to have forgotten,” Saber smiled in gratitude. </p><p>Maria smirked at how wrong she would in a few seconds. “Oh, you shouldn’t thank me yet Saber.” Closing her eyes and reaching within, she began to concentrate on the next attack. </p><p>Feeling the prana begin concentrating around Maria, Saber already knew what was happening. “This is...” </p><p>“A Noble Phantasm!?” Irisviel finished in shock. </p><p>The frenzied Rakuyo begun to burn with fire before Maria slowly floated upward as blood begun to encircle her in multiple rings as she readied the Noble Phantasm. </p><p><b> “The Stage is Set.” </b> The multiple blood rings exploded into` a bloody shower, forcing anyone near to close their eyes. Opening her eyes, Saber no longer found herself at the Fuyuki coastline but found herself in a royal ballroom. There she stood in the middle of an empty ballroom, Statues of Cainhurst knights lined the room and rich blood red banners hung from the walls. A painting depicting an iron-helmed queen were scattered hung above a wall of the ballroom. </p><p><b> “Only in blood is our true elegance revealed,” </b> Boomed Maria as she appeared in the ballroom. Still dressed in her hunter garb but her appearance now had been cleaned up and held this small trace of ethereal flame coming off of it.  </p><p>Snapping her fingers, a ring of fire encircled them both. The blood colored fire danced exquisitely around them as Maria continued.  </p><p>“I only have one shot at this,” Muttered Artoria as she readied herself for whatever Maria was about to unleash. She couldn’t use Excalibur as its full power due to her injury on her left arm so that left her with the Strike Wind. </p><p><b> “Let this be in honor of my queen and king,” </b> Maria elegantly bowed, customary in dances between nobles beforehand to properly honor their partner.  </p><p><b> “Prepare yourself my friend....” </b> Suddenly the Rakuyo became bathed in the same blood tinged flame that had been encircling them. </p><p><b> “For this is...,” </b> She shot off like a missile from her position, blood flaring up behind in her wake. Reaching a few feet before Saber she disappeared into a bloody mist. </p><p>Unable to properly register her disappearance, Saber grimaced as a strike shredded some of her arm armor. Looking around her she realized that Maria was dancing around her in a red blur, slashing both of her weapons in a frenzy. </p><p>A cut to a leg. </p><p>Another to her cheek. </p><p>A gash on her shoulder. </p><p>The loss of one of her armored gauntlets entirely. </p><p>Death by a thousand slashes it seemed. </p><p>Then the flames around her had disappeared as she was now suddenly left in the now dark ballroom. However, Saber was not given any time of reprieve as the flames returned but this time they were now dancing around Maria. </p><p>Readying both blades as if she were using a rapier, she readied the final attack. Opening her eyes, any present flames became absorbed by the Rakuyo, now blazing intensely with the blood colored flame. </p><p><b> “</b><b>Valsul </b><b>Lacrimilor </b><b>Sângeroase</b><b>!(The Waltz of Bloody Tears)"</b> She cried out as she stabbed the Rakuyo forward, a spiral bloody force of destruction shot out as it devastated anything in its path. </p><p>“Now!” Cried out Saber as she readied her response to the attack. Adopting a similar poise, she released the sacred wind that hid the full glory of the Excalibur with a thrust. </p><p><b> “Strike Air: Hammer of The Wind King!”  </b>The Excalibur glowed in all of its majesty as the wind billowed outward with the force of a hurricane. </p><p>Both Noble Phantasms collided with each other with a resounding boom, divine winds and eldritch blood smashing into each other. </p><p>And soon the ballroom was engulfed in a bright white light </p><hr/><p>Narrowly dodging a swipe of the Blades of Mercy, Kiritsugu was not faring well against Eileen. While she may not be a full-fledged servant like Saber was, she did have the speed to match them. For him, his Time Alter was beginning to take a toll on his body.  </p><p>“Distracted?” Eileen said as she came for another swipe with her Blades of Mercy. </p><p>“Time Alter: Double Accel!” He cried out once more. He could feel his heart beating like crazy and anymore he would die from the overwork.  </p><p>“Fool did you think that little trick of yours would work for this long,” The Crow called out. </p><p>Looking up in shock, Kiritsugu noticed that she was keeping up even with his apparent speed advantage. “A great trick but easy to counter once you wrap your head around it.” She explained before landing a clean punch to his gut, easily breaking the Time Alter spell, as he was slammed into a wall. </p><p>Not going down without a fight, he tried pulling out Thompson Contender to try and land a lucky shot but Eileen wasn’t having any of it. Easily closing the distance, she kicked the Mystic Code far enough that he wouldn’t be able to reach it without her blades embedded into him. </p><p>“So, it comes to this...” He thought before pulling off his gloves to reveal his Command Seals. Quickly focusing on them he began chanting. “By this Command Seal I order you Saber to...” </p><p>Sighing at just stubborn he was being, Eileen threw a dagger coated in a special blue fluid. Stabbing into his skin just lightly for the effect to take hold. </p><p>Kiritsugu could only look in shock as the shining Command Seals dulled. Now he had no other tricks left up his sleeve and was now left at the mercy of the Crow. </p><p>“Worry not Magus Killer, I’m not here to kill you,” Kneeling down she stared at him through her crow mask. “I’m a messenger of sorts for Caster.” </p><p>“What message does Caster have for me that he would delegate a messenger for?” He asked curiously, trying to gauge what kind of man Caster was. </p><p>“He sees you as the only competent master in this Grail War, there was another but he is far too young and inexperienced that you were the only choice left. Believe me the others are significantly worse compared to you.” Eileen groaned before she stood up. </p><p>“He sees promise in what you and the other masters will bring to the hunt but he fears that you will occupy yourselves in solving this mess by yourself. Gather the other masters if you wish to have any hope of seeing daylight” Steeping onto the edge of a balcony, she looked back at him. “If you wish to transcend the hunt, you must first deal with Amygdala. Your servant will receive the rest of the details,” She quoted before leaping off the balcony. </p><p>Slowly standing up and leaving the building, Kiritsugu pulled out his phone and quickly dialed in a number. “Maiya are you there?” </p><p>“Affirmative Kiritsugu, I have lost my pursuers.” </p><p>“Did you neutralize them?” </p><p>“Yes, but I had help...from Assassin.” </p><p>“Assassin!? What are they doing there?” A concerned Kiritsugu asked. </p><p>“I don’t know but they are telling me that the Church is gathering up the other Masters to discuss a plan to deal with Caster.” </p><p>“I see,” Looking around he noticed that things had calmed down considerably. “And what of Irisviel and Saber.” </p><p>“Assassin informed me that Rider and his master are on their way to where they were last spotted.” </p><p>“I see,” Pulling out a cigarette, he smoked it as he calmly walked down the desolate streets to the Church. </p><p>If he had looked up then he would’ve seen the Orchestrator of this nightmare was floating high above him. Caster smiled as it was all coming together, because after all... </p><p>Hunts were most enjoyable when others were present.  </p><hr/><p>With a bright flash the ballroom that Saber had found herself in had disappeared as she had arrived back at the coastline. Looking around she couldn’t spot Maria anywhere, had the Noble Phantasm taken her out? </p><p>“Saber!” Irisviel ran up to her before engulfing her in a mighty hug. Breaking away from the hug, she cupped her head as she worried over her wounded state. “What happened!? You were gone in a flash and now you come back with all of these wounds on you!” </p><p>Looking down her armor had seen better days. Chipped and torn, her armor was a testament to how devasting Maria was as an opponent. The amount of injuries on her was staggering and she was surprised that she was still standing.  </p><p>“It's over Irisviel, I have triumphed over Maria,” She assured. </p><p>“Oh, I don’t think so,” Her voice called out.  </p><p>From the mist Maria stepped out. While Saber was worse for wear, Maria was completely fine. Pristine as she was when she introduced herself, it was if they hadn’t fought at all. </p><p>“Surprised? Your little Strike Wind was a nice attack, would’ve killed any other hunter but you will find that I am no ordinary hunter,” Putting a hand on her hip, she laughed a little at their distress. “Rest assured I’m not going to continue this duel. I’ll put this battle on hold for now Saber, I would’ve preferred to share a cup of tea and some biscuits with you but it looks like will have to push that for a later time.” </p><p>Walking away and slowly dissolving into mist, she waved goodbye to the pair. “A little insight for my favorite servant. Seek Lady Rom if you wish to end this Hunt, but take heed... or the cries of the Orphan shall drown you in a sea of sorrow.” And with that Lady Maria was gone. </p><p>“Seek Lady Rom?” Saber asked herself until she heard a familiar boisterous voice nearby. Looking back from the road leading to Fuyuki City, Rider was driving his Gordius Wheel towards them. </p><p>Stopping near them Rider greeted them with a grin. “I see you have survived Saber from your opponent.” </p><p>Smiling faintly, she gestured towards her injured state.  “I do believe that my survival was possible was because of pity, not because I was victorious.” </p><p>“Really, because I think that your opponent wished to fight you at your best, without Lancer’s curse on you; there is no honor in kicking down an already injured opponent,” Offered Waver as he popped his head out of the chariot. </p><p>Surprised by the sudden change in his demeanor from the meek boy she saw at the docks she looked at Rider, who proudly grinned at the new Waver Velvet. She smiled in gratitude and thanked him for his advice. </p><p>“Rider why are you here?” Asked Irisviel as she approached them. </p><p>“The Church is currently gathering up the other masters and servants and we were tasked in bringing you there.” Rider explained before he grabbed the reins of the Gordius Wheel. </p><p>“Now come Saber! We will escort you back to the Church!” He said before moving the chariot. Not wishing to spend any more time out in the open, Artoria and Irisviel both climbed into the car and followed their escort back to the Church, on guard for whatever horrors lurked in the dark.  </p><p>For a moment the streets of Fuyuki were quiet, no hunter or eldritch beings running amok. </p><p>Because soon... </p><p>The true hunt would begin. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Boom Chapter 8 is done. I wanted to get this done before the start of the next week as I have exams to do, so the next chapter probably won’t be ready until next week. </p><p>How did you guys like Maria’s Noble Phantasm? I wanted to do something different for her, and I might do something similar for other hunters as well. Maybe Brador goes into a beast mode like Cu Alter or something like that? The inspiration for the Noble Phantasm, Valsul Lacrimilor Sângeroase, was the origins that Cainhurst was heavily inspired by Dracula’s castle, who is Romanian. I was tempted to write the Phantasm in English without it but it just bothered me. Should I do translations for some of them or just leave it in English? </p><p>Also I hope the Maria fight was good for you guys.</p><p>Welp that's all for now and as always... </p><p>May the Cosmos Shine in Your Favor This Day!! </p>
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<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Communion</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The master and servants of the 4th Holy Grail War come together and discuss on how to beat Caster</p>
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    <p>Saber walked out of the car as they stopped in front of the Church. The holy building still stood intact but not without its battle scars. Littered across the courtyard were signs of battle as the pavement was all smashed up and the greenery had been ruined, but the church was left untouched. </p><p>“Saber are you alright?” Irisviel asked as she walked up to her. </p><p>“Yes Irisviel, my mind is still on edge from my fight with Maria.” </p><p>Nodding her head, Irisviel smiled. “Well let's go inside already, Kiritsugu and Maiya are already inside and I’m pretty sure that the others are waiting for us.” Taking Saber’s arm, they entered the church.  </p><p>Upon entering they noticed the other servants and masters that were waiting for them. Risei and his son were at the front of the altar, discussing Assassin’s recon on the city. The furrowed brow on the Church leader’s face showed that all was not well.  </p><p>Off to the side Lancer and Tokiomi were trying their best to nurse the injured Kayneth back to health.  The once comatose Kayneth was now awake but in serious pain from having lost some of his magical circuits. His face would tighten in pain whenever Tokiomi tried his best in trying to heal the injured master while Lancer would fret over him and ask forgiveness for failing him and Sola-Ui. </p><p>Opposite from them was Rider and Waver as they were having a little teacher and student moment. Iskandar saw fit to teach the now changed Waver about battle tactics and philosophy that the boy was eating up with glee. </p><p>Kiritsugu and Maiya had chosen to stay at the far corner of the church, avoiding everyone else as much as possible. Kiritsugu was smoking a cigarette as he stared off into the distance while Maiya was cleaning her rifle. </p><p>And finally, off to a window, was Archer. He was looking out into the Fuyuki night sky, lost in thought over something. It was rare to see such a rattled look on the King of Heroes' face. </p><p>Kirei noticed their arrival and welcomed them. “I see that the last servant has arrived,” Motioning for everyone to come with him, he walked over to the wall behind the altar. Muttering a chant, the wall dissipated to reveal a hidden door. “Let us commence this meeting,” he said before walking in and everyone following behind him. </p><p>A downward passageway had revealed the secret room that the Church had originally used to coordinate any magus-related operations within the city and oversee the Holy-Grail War. Now it would be used to discuss on how to beat Caster. The room was fairly plain, a typical Magus Workshop that held a giant map of the city in the middle. </p><p>Each person present took a seat around the giant table as Risei walked to the head of the map. “Due to Caster’s violation of the Holy Grail War I, Risei Kotomine, hereby declare an alliance between servants and masters in favor of defeating Caster,” Finishing his declaration, he motioned for his son to continue the debriefing. </p><p>Standing up and taking his father’s place, Kirei continued right as Assassin materialized right next to him. “I am the master of Assassin and allow us to formally apologize for the deceit we pulled off.” They both bowed to the assembled masters and servants as in order to get through the night they needed to work together and so any wounds and grievances needed to be addressed.  </p><p>Finishing their apology, they moved on to the actual meeting. “Assassin has done recon on the entire city and will now share what they have found on Caster’s army.” </p><p>Holding a hand up, Rider asked a very serious question. “And what of Berserker and his master? If we are holding talks then should they not be present for this?” </p><p>“Regrettably Berserker and his master have been taken hostage by one of Caster’s hunters. We could not intervene in time before they were taken.” Explained Assassin as Rider put his hand down while the mood of the other servants and masters became tense. Already a master and servant had fallen victim to Caster’s forces. </p><p>Walking up to the map, Assassin begun to disclose the information they had found. “Caster has effectively blocked the entire Fuyuki City from the outside world,” Trailing a massive circle that looped around the entire city, including the mountains and farthest reaches of the land that showed the extent of the trap. “We’ve had no luck in trying to break free from the trap and any attempts to communicate with the outside world have had no luck.” </p><p>“We have identified four key strongholds that Caster has set up,” Assassin trailed their hand first around the Fuyuki CIty Hall. “We believe that this is Caster’s main base, the number of defenses and hunters that Caster has protecting the place suggests this.” </p><p>“Then if its Caster’s main base what are we waiting here for?” Impatiently asked Archer as he glared at the Fuuki City Hall where Caster was probably at. He was probably thinking on how to get his revenge on Caster for the little trick he pulled. </p><p>“Unfortunately, the fortress is protected by this strange boundary field that we are unable to break, similar to the next stronghold.” From the Fuyuki City Hall Hassan pointed to the Ryuudou Temple. “This is known as the Choir’s headquarters. We believe that this is some sort of prison as both Berserker and his master were taken there. Also, it was the last direction that the Wraith that stole Rin was heading for.”  </p><p>Irisviel looked to the side to see Tokiomi was trying his hardest to control his anger. Having had his daughter stolen and knowing the location of where she was but unable to help was testing him. If Illyasviel were in Rin’s stead then she would on the edge of her seat as well. </p><p>“Sharing the same boundary field as the City Hall, it will be impossible to mount an assault without knowing how to dispel the field.” </p><p>From the Ryuudou Temple, Assassin addressed the Fuyuki Clocktower. “This location serves as Caster’s watchtower. The multi-armed being has an un-impeded view of the city and will bring down anything that comes too close. Rider has experienced this first hand.” At the memory of the cosmic bombardment they came under, Rider chuckled. </p><p>“Not to mention that the Clocktower serves as the hub for the various hunters that we have encountered,” Taking a deep breath Assassin moved onto to explaining the various hunter groups. </p><p>“Defending the Clocktower we have two groups,” Throwing two photos on the map, Assassin explained them. “On the right we have Djura, Leader of the Powder Kegs. His group are well-equipped with firearms and explosives and have also set up various Gatling gun and cannon emplacements that lockdown any approaches from the air.” Motioning for the left they revealed a new group that no one had fought yet. Garbed in a heavy looking Church garb, the most noticeable thing was the big gold pyramid helmet that the person wore. “The only information that we have for this group is that they are known as the Executioners.” </p><p>“Caster must’ve had more than a single day to prepare all of this,” Diarmuid marveled at just how much Caster had at his disposal. </p><p>“In truth Lancer we believe that he was summoned a month before this all happened.” Shock was on everyone’s face with how long Caster was given to prepare. A Caster’s Territory Creation skill made it so that a Caster was at their strongest in their territory. The longer a Caster had to utilize their Territory Creation, the more of a threat they would become. Often Caster would be the number one servant to get rid of at the start of a Holy Grail War. </p><p>Risei spoke up about explaining Caster’s appearance. “A month ago, a police call was given about the whereabouts of the crazed murderer, Uryuu Ryuunosuke. They got a call about a possible location for him and once the police arrived, they found his mangled-up corpse at one his murder sites. The police wrote it off as vigilante work but some deep digging revealed that his arm was left intact before they burned it. On that arm is what was once believed to be Caster’s Command Seals.” </p><p>Having had Risei explain Caster’s arrival, Assassin threw four more photos on the map. “These groups should be familiar to some of you already,” They pointed to the first picture. “This is the Bloody Crow, leader of the Cainhurst Knights. These knights are Caster’s elite guard and the most dangerous of all the groups, they are the closest match to a servant.” Lancer nodded his head at how much of a threat this group was. </p><p>“Here we have Irene of the Choir,” Pointing to the innocent smile of Irene, Assassin shuddered. "Under no circumstances should you be captured by her or the Choir, they delve in arcane arts and we met the remains of one of their experiments.” Seeing a magus that they were meant to rescue had been transformed into this strange blue, cosmic kin quickly cemented the fact that the Choir was the one to say far away from. Kayneth clenched his fist underneath the table. He had been too weak and now his beloved wife was now at the mercy of the Choir’s crazy experiments. </p><p>“Next, we have the Yahar’gul hunters, this group is by far the most numerous in numbers, they make up the basic foot soldiers of Caster’s army however they are the weakest group and masters can take them on in a fight.” </p><p>“Finally, we have the Hunter of Hunters which we will be referring to as the Crows for their beak helmet and crow feather cloaks. They are the assassins of Caster’s army and we have had several skirmishes with them when trying to scout the city. I have lost some of my personas already.” Already they had lost some of themselves to these crow hunters. </p><p>“I am to presume that we are all that stands against Caster and his mini-army?” Rider asked with a hand to his chin after seeing what they were facing. He smiled at the thought of how unstoppable his army would be if Caster had joined his army.  </p><p>Tokiomi spoke up this time, “We would’ve had some magus that I allowed to stay in the city as help but Caster has hunted them all down. Every Magus is either missing or dead in their workshop.” </p><p>As the others continued talking about how to deal with Caster, Saber was drawn in by a stronghold that Assassin forgotten to mention. “What about this Assassin?” She questioned as she pointed to the Fuyuki Sea. </p><p>“Ah that place Miss Artoria, we have no idea what this place is meant to serve as, the sea is covered by this strange mist that we can't enter through and the only thing we know about this place is the strange singing that eminent from within.”  </p><p>Even as Assassin dismissed the sea, Saber had this nagging feeling that something important laid there. “The Orphan shall drown you in a sea of sorrow,” Repeating what Maria had said to her before she left, she spoke her mind.  </p><p>“Before Rider picked us up, Lady Maria mentioned a way to end this, by seeking a Lady Rom we could end this hunt.” Her statement drew everyone’s attention </p><p>“And you believe the word of the ‘Lady Maria’? The word of an enemy?” Sneered Kayneth. </p><p>“It is something to go off of rather than us having nothing,” Argued Waver. </p><p>“Then it seems that her advice matches with what my opponent said,” Kiritsugu spoke up for the first time as everyone’s attention shifted to him. “If we have any hope to transcend the hunt deal with Amygdala. That must mean that the muli-armed eldritch being is Amygdala” He quoted the words of Eileen she gave him.  </p><p>Asssassin nodded their head at their statement before addressing the map once more. “Then it seems that the advice you were given is consistent with our findings.” They began trailing a hand from the sea to the clocktower. “There seems to be an entrance into the sea, an opening that the mist has not blocked off. It is the main Fuyuki Sewer Tunnel.” They drew a little circle where the main sewer tunnel emptied out into the sea.  </p><p>“However, there is a problem with accessing the tunnel.” Their hand trailed up before stopping at the clocktower where a mini drawing of Amygdala was. “It is that the only entrance exists right under the tower, any other access points are covered by the same fog that covers the sea,” </p><p>“I am not the only one that sees that this is a deliberate trap by Caster,” Risei pointed out the obvious trap. </p><p>“It is not a trap if we know it is one, we can prepare for whatever Caster has planned for us,” Iskandar said. </p><p>“Then we agree that our first course of action against Caster will be a direct assault on the Clocktower?” Looking around everyone nodded their heads in approval until they looked at Archer. He was the strongest out of all of them here but for his arrogance over that fact would test if he could work with them willingly. </p><p>“Hmph I suppose that I could lend my hand to you pitiful mongrels against Caster, after all he dares to proclaim that I am inferior to him.” It seemed that whatever event that had shaken him up had seemingly passed as he was back to his old ways. </p><p>“This must be an attack that has to be planned perfectly, otherwise Caster can just swarm us with numbers.” Tokiomi warned. </p><p>Smugly Waver patted Iskandar’s shoulder. “Well it’s a good thing that we have a Noble Phantasm that can tip the odds in our favor.” </p><p>Irisviel had read a bit of myths before the Holy Grail War so she had an idea of what Waver was referring to. “You don’t mean....” </p><p>“Yes, my vast army that once marched across the sandy dunes of Macedonia, Ionioi Hetairoi!” Rider proudly proclaimed. </p><p>“But Rider won’t such a Noble Phantasm be draining for your master?” Inquired Lancer. </p><p>“Under normal circumstances yes, but here Caster’s entrapment fulfills all of the necessary requirements to act as a pseudo Reality Marble to support my army’s materialization.”  </p><p>“And the Church will allow Waver Velvet to utilize our spare command seals to maintain the army,” Offered Risei. </p><p>“Then let us strategize on how we begin our first attack against Caster,” And with that they began to plan out the attack of the Clocktower. </p><hr/><p>Meanwhile at the City Hall, Caster was having a conversation with his trusted hunters. He was sitting alone in the Diet Chamber where politicians would debate over various issues. He was the only one in the room as he was having a telepathic conversation with his hunters with his eyes closed in concentration.  </p><p><em> “</em><em>Logarius </em><em>how goes the defenses of the Clocktower?” </em> </p><p><em> “It is well milord, </em><em>Djura </em><em>has set up multiple Gatling Gun and cannon fortifications and my Executioners stand ready.” </em> </p><p><em> “Very good  </em> <em> Logarius </em> <em> , I shall send Gascoigne and  </em> <em> Brador </em> <em>  as additional reinforcements. The Bloody Crow will join after his objective is done as well. What of you Ludwig, how goes the Choir?” </em> </p><p>
  <em> “We are good over here as </em>
  <em>well at </em>
  <em>the temple. Lady Rin sleeps peacefully and Sir Kariya is being nursed back to health. Sir </em>
  <em>Valtr </em>
  <em>is very adamant about staying by his side.” </em>
</p><p><em> “Understandable </em><em>those two share </em><em>so much in common. Simon how goes the sewer defenses?” </em> </p><p><em> “Rest easy my friend the traps have been set and Lady Rom is well though I do wish my partner </em><em>wasn’t Patches though</em><em>.” </em> </p><p><em> “Even if I find his </em><em>cowardly </em> <em> nature to be annoying at times, he is a master trickster whose skill is matched by none.” </em> </p><p>Feeling an unwanted presence enter the room, Caster quickly ended the meeting. <em> “Very well report if anything goes wrong.” </em> </p><p><em> “</em><em>Yes, </em><em>your majesty,” </em>They all said before leaving the conversation. </p><p>Taking a deep breath Caster addressed the unwelcomed visitor. “I was expecting my dear Maria to show up but...” Opening his eyes he glared at the incorporeal mystic woman that stood opposite of the room. Her body was in essence not a true body but just pure prana molded into a body. While the being in front of him looked harmless, she was so much more than that; the power rolling off of her was a testament to that fact. </p><p>“Why are you here...” Standing up he released some of his power to show that he was not joking around as the woman released her power as well, both of their powers clashing. If anyone was present in the room, they would’ve died from how suffocating their presences were. </p><p><b> “Gaia,” </b> He said with distaste as the now identified Will of the Earth returned a glare of her own. The primordial entity looked less than pleased as the two deities stared each other down. </p><p>The Will of the Earth, the representative of the Earth’s desire to survive. She once loved humanity, as she did all living creatures, until they went off and begun destroying the planet in their selfish quest for power. For a human to ascend to her status of godhood was the greatest offense. </p><p>The other was a human who ascended to Godhood, once impossible for humanity’s feeble origins. It was his human origins that made him foster humanity past its childhood beginnings. The arrogance that Gaia exhibited over her status made dealing with her a pain for him. </p><hr/><p>In the Church’s planning room, the masters and servants were strategizing on how the assault was going to go. Each person needed to execute their roles perfectly lest they drag everyone down. All was well until Irisviel slammed the door open as she stormed into the room with a distressed look on her face. </p><p>“Iri what’s wrong?” A worried Kiritsugu held his beloved in his arms as she whispered the problem to him. His face paled before he started to rummage through his pockets to find a certain item. </p><p>Seeing the feared Magus Killer panic had Waver in panic mode as well. “W-what happened!?” He fearfully asked.  </p><p>“Caster is much stronger than we thought, much stronger,” Irisviel was pacing around the room, her pacing putting everyone on edge. </p><p>“Well spit it out already!” Kayneth shouted as he couldn’t handle the tension. </p><p>Kiritsugu answered them in a low tone. “We started this Holy Grail War at midnight...Let me ask you how long have we been fighting for?” </p><p>Realization slowly creeped in as Tokiomi put the pieces together. “No, you don’t mean...” A good six hours had passed now that he realized it. The first rays of the sun should’ve been shining over the horizon by now.  </p><p>Kiritsugu fished out a pocket watch and showed everyone what time it was. The last puzzle was shown to them and the horror finally now begun setting in. </p><p>On the pocket watch the hands were still stuck on the number twelve. The hands had yet to move since the battle between Lancer and Saber at the Mion docks. </p><p>Caster hadn’t just trapped them in Fuyuki City. </p><p>He had trapped the city in an alternate dimension altogether.   </p><p>And no ordinary heroic spirit had that ability, not even a divine spirit had that ability. Maybe in the Age of Gods such a feat would have been possible but that time had long passed. Now divine spirits were only capable of a fraction of what their myths said about them. </p><p>So... </p><p>What in God’s name was Caster supposed to be?  </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Chapter 9 is finished! I wanted this chapter to set up the future chapters and set the hype for them. The idea of Iskandar’s Noble Phantasm clashing with Caster’s was actually not originally planned but the addition of the Executioners made me realize that Caster could just flood them with hunters. Next chapter will all be Caster and Gaia (Hopefully all of the chapter will be about them).  </p><p>A great little insight that I found about Maria’s Noble Phantasm is that Bloody Tears is coincidentally the OST name for Castlevania. </p><p>Still surprised by all the support that this story is getting! If you’re new and enjoy the story leave a review or drop a favorite/kudos as they inspire me to think of even better ideas for this story. </p><p>Welp that’s all for now and as always... </p><p>May the Cosmos Shine in Your Favor This Day! </p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Ascension</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><em> There once was a boy. </em> </p>
<p><em> He had been born with a serious illness, and by the tender age of manhood he had been seriously crippled by it </em> </p>
<p><em> Seeking another chance at life he left his home to find the city of  </em> <em> Yharnam </em> <em> , land of the Healing Blood Church </em> </p>
<p><em> He sought salvation. </em> </p>
<p><em> He received damnation instead. </em> </p>
<p><em> Forming a contract signed in blood, he would take arms against the beastly scourge of  </em> <em> Yharnam </em> <em> , </em> </p>
<p><em> And for a </em><em>time, </em><em>he was content. He felt like a hero to others he had saved. </em> </p>
<p><em> However once the Blood Moon descended, the lines between man and beast blurred. </em> </p>
<p><em> He cried into the night as those he had saved experienced horror worse than death. </em> </p>
<p><em> They say that the Great Ones were </em><em>sympathetic </em><em>in spirit, that </em><em>one's </em><em>prayers are answered if directed to them. </em> </p>
<p><em> He prayed and prayed for this nightmare to cease. </em> </p>
<p><em> All he got was silence. </em> </p>
<hr/>
<p>“Haven’t you heard Gaia that it’s rude to come uninvited,” Sneered Caster as he stood a few feet away from the primordial will of the Earth.  </p>
<p>“Another human term you like to throw around, a goddess arrives whenever she wishes. She has no need for invitations.” She shot back as the two proceeded to circle each other. Like two wolves sizing the other up. </p>
<p>“If your beloved humans knew how cruel their “Mother Earth” was then they would have no guilt when it came to using the land for their own gain.” Mocked Caster. </p>
<p>“It fascinates me that you still cling on to your love of human even when you have ascended past their feeble ways. You still care for such a destructive species.” </p>
<p>Stopping, Caster stared at Gaia. “You underestimate them Gaia.” </p>
<p>She stopped as well before staring at him. “You give them too much credit.” </p>
<p>The two deities stared at each other, unwilling to compromise on their views.  For Gaia, Caster was a giant unknown. A puzzle that no matter how long she stared at it, she could not solve it. </p>
<p>“I don’t understand you Caster, you have received a gift that others would’ve killed for. The dream of godhood, the dream of being the master of your own fate and yet you chose to participate in this...,” Gaia’s face clenched in disgust. “Blasphemous ritual.” She finished. </p>
<p>“I mean this ritual isn’t all that bad,” Caster tried to defend. “It's kind of flattering that they devised a ritual to try to reach the Root.” </p>
<p>“Ah yes the Root, or should I say another name you were once called by the Yharmanites when they saw your ascension.” Gaia deadpanned. “Once,” She pointed out with anger. </p>
<p>Ah yes, he remembered how Yharnam had reacted when he had descended upon them, filled with hope that they would repent in front of him, to ask forgiveness from an ascended Great One for their sins. The hope quickly turned to disgust as the events that landed him into Godhood begun to repeat. They had fallen to their knees and begun to pray for favor and prosperity. The Healing Church had announced that this was the fruit of their labor in trying to regain their lost reputation, that if the Yharmanites pledged their lives to them that they could reach his status of godhood. </p>
<p>The world now no longer remembers the day where the cosmos laid waste to the land. When righteous judgement from the skies rained down on the planet. </p>
<p>“The world was better off without the mistakes that happened in Yharnam, there was no redemption to be found there.” Caster seriously said. She was treading on some dangerous territory over here. </p>
<p>“Yet you chose to save a select few from Yharnam, your ‘chosen’ champions” Gaia pointed out his ironic choice in saving some. </p>
<p>“They know the hell that descended onto Yharnam and how they all advertently played a hand in it. They wished to redeem themselves for their mistakes, far more than the city’s citizens and Church had done.” Caster had not forced any of them to pledge their souls to him, just like Gehrman once sold his soul to Flora, The Moon Presence, for a chance to be useful and reunited with his student. He had given them a choice to back out, that if they said yes that their lives would be for him and him alone. </p>
<p>They accepted nonetheless. </p>
<p>“Regardless of what happened, your choice held serious complications. You erased an entire country from the face of the Earth, wiped reality itself. It no longer exists in the world’s history; no living soul nor book holds a single memory of that place. The only one that does is you.” </p>
<p>“And as a result, the world is a better place now.” </p>
<p>“For humans it might’ve been but for us gods you destroyed us!” Cracks appeared on the floor as Gaia made her power, her anger, known. “Yharnam was, like other civilizations, once a place where us gods were worshiped, where our powers were at our peak. Yet your love for this inferior species ended our Age of Gods.” In the history of magi, the Age of Gods had ended mysteriously and ever since the Age of Man has continued on. For that was what Caster exactly wanted, a world free from the strings of the gods. Free from their influence and schemes.  </p>
<p>“Nothing to say Caster, you coward! Or should I say...” </p>
<p><b> “Speak that name Gaia, and I will show you how I ended the Age of Gods,” </b> Caster’s voice was no longer playful and mischievous but now truly befitting his stature of a God. Each word that left his mouth shook the room with its power. </p>
<p><b> “Would you like me to demonstrate how I ripped each god from their gilded thrones, how they begged for mercy as I robbed them of their power,” </b>  His eyes were no longer a peaceful cosmos but now a raging supernova. He flexed his fingers as he tried remembering the last  time  he had used his power.  <b> “Just like I did to Flora under her own Blood Moon long ago.” </b> </p>
<p><b> “</b><b>Oh, </b><b>where’s the bravado that you showed so much to me Gaia? Or have you finally learned why I favored humans so much even after my ascension to godhood?” </b> </p>
<p>“They are a weak race; they are undeserving of such power.” Gaia tried to regain any semblance of control.  </p>
<p><b> “You see that is precisely why you gods were doomed to fail, it is because you fail to understand that no god is in control of their fate. You and I are just simple pawns under fate, there is no denying that. It is the natural calling of the child to replace the parent, for the old to be replaced with the new. Alaya understands this and so do I. One day humanity will reach our divine ark. It may be tomorrow, a year, or even decades from now but they will reach it. It is the human calling to ascend higher and higher.” </b> He threw his hands as he showed that he was the prime example of such ascension. </p>
<p><b> “However, unlike you bumbling fool, I will groom my successor. You will wait for the day when a power-hungry fool like Laurence comes and drags you from your throne screaming and kicking. I on the other hand, will groom those that I believe are up to the task of my role. That they understand the gravity of what my power holds.” </b> Getting that out of his chest, Caster calmed down as the power that was once vibrating the room had now ceased.  </p>
<p>“I must see with my own two eyes that my actions have benefited humanity, that they are indeed ready to travel down their destined path. Just like how a lone boy shouted in the face of the Hunt and ascended humanity as a result, so too will these master and servants show me the tenacity that humanity possesses that the gods themselves cower at.” Turning around Caster proceeded to walk out of the room. “Leave Gaia, whatever you do now does not concern me but do not make me use my power, do not test me.” And with that he teleported out.  </p>
<hr/>
<p>It had been a tense meeting in the Church’s Planning Room. Tensions had been running high on what to do next and they all agreed on was to take some time off and cool down before the situation got worse.  </p>
<p>Hence why Saber found herself at the Church’s flower gardens. Such a place reminded her of bittersweet times back at Camelot. Days where she would spend them laying in the flower fields that Merlin left around, a gift of Avalon he would say. </p>
<p>Holding a flower in her hand, she wished that her knights would be with her right now. She tried to play off the image of a strong and valiant king but in the end, she was still the small girl full of dreams.  </p>
<p>“Such thinking is unbefitting of you, my king,” A familiar voice called out behind her. </p>
<p>She smiled at hearing her trusted friend, even in her memories his impact was still big on her that his voice would blend with reality than her mind. “My friend how I wish you were here; you would have the answers I need.” </p>
<p>“Oh, you admit that you need me my dear Artoria?” </p>
<p>“Yes, I would do anything to have you here now.” </p>
<p>“Hmm maybe if you got on your knees and proclaimed that I am the best wizard of all time then maybe I’ll consider.” </p>
<p>“Yes, I’ll...” Realizing that the voice she was hearing was in fact real and not a figment of her imagination, she whipped her head around to see her dear friend. </p>
<p>Merlin, The Great Magus of Flowers, bowed in front of her. Flowers gathering beneath his white pristine robes. “Hello my dear king, it has been a while.” </p>
<p>“Merlin, how are you here!?” She knew very well of his circumstances and that him leaving his tower in Avalon meant he broke some rules. </p>
<p>Adopting a guilty look, which in fact he wasn’t, he explained. “Under normal circumstances I couldn’t be here but Caster has broken some rules so why not myself as well.” </p>
<p>“How can we against such a servant, Merlin?” She distressed at the insurmountable odds they were facing. “How can we fight against such an enemy that can control reality itself!?” </p>
<p>He sighed before placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “This is unbecoming of you my king, do you remember the time when the Saxons descended unto Britain like a horde, where their numbers easily dwarfed ours by the hundreds? Do you remember what I taught you?” </p>
<p>“To not fear an opponent just because they seem strong,” Remembered Saber. </p>
<p>“You rallied Camelot when all seemed lost and beat the Saxons back, and now you worry over a single servant? My how the mighty have fallen.” Joked Merlin. </p>
<p>Punching his shoulder lightly, Saber laughed a bit. She needed this. “Will you help us against Caster? Like old times my old mentor?” </p>
<p>Merlin laughed lightly. “Oh, I wouldn’t go that far, Caster’s distraction has now left and soon he’ll know that I’m here.” Just realizing something he directed her attention to something behind him. “But I will give you a way to know a little more about Caster, what that will do I have no idea though.” </p>
<p>“It is good to see you Miss Artoria,” A familiar voice called out as a woman stepped forward. Saber immediately pulled out Excalibur and pointed it at Maria. However, a hand from Merlin motioned for her to lower her sword.  </p>
<p>“This is not the Lady Maria that you have fought earlier, this is a favor that I have as a fellow Grand Class servant. Thank you for coming Marianne.” Merlin thanked the Doll for coming. </p>
<p>“It is no problem Sir Merlin, anything for a dear friend of Caster,” The Doll bowed as Saber begun noticing the differences between her and Lady Maria. </p>
<p>For one the clothing they wore was different. She wore clothes befitting a doll while Maria would wear her hunter garb. They both shared the same flawless skin at first but a closer look revealed the pale skin was actually porcelain. Regular fingers had been replaced by puppet fingers; you could see the mechanical joints which would reveal the inner workings of the doll. One could tell that much love went into making this doll. </p>
<p>“This is Marianne Artoria, if you wish to understand Caster you must understand his hunt and only one person knows all about him. How ironic that the one that would inspire him to fight for humanity would be a doll deprived of it.” </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Chapter 10 is done! Idk but it seems kind of short for some reason but could be just me. I have to give credit where its due with The-Killer40513 and his idea of having the doll help the masters and servants about Hunters and Great Ones. The idea of the doll just willingly helping didn’t sit well so I had Merlin make a small appearance. Next chapter will be the doll telling the masters and servants on Caster’s past. Tried to make Gaia and Caster’s argument as long as possible so I hoped you enjoyed it.  </p>
<p>This story really doing well and I’m so thankful for all the support. </p>
<p>Welp that’s all for now and as always... </p>
<p>May The Cosmos Shine In Your Favor This Day! </p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Oh Good Hunter</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Gilgamesh had a pretty good divinity radar. Being part god had given him the ability to detect when a god was near him. It was good at times to know where Enkidu was when they made him participate in his little games or when Ishtar was up to no good.  </p><p>The doll that the King of Knights had brought back blazed with divinity, the closest thing he had to compare the presence that this doll held was that of Anu, King of the Sumerian Gods. </p><p>“Greetings fellow master and servants, I am Marianne; A simple doll in service to Caster.” She did a little curtsy with her dress.  </p><p>Looking to his right and meeting Iskandar’s eyes; they both agreed on the same thing. </p><p>Despite her disarming presence, this was someone not to anger. </p><p>“A pleasure to meet you Marianne,” Formally greeted Risei as he motioned for her to take one of the seats at the map table to which she took. The others followed suit as they all stared at the newcomer with intrigue.  </p><p>“You must be very close to Caster if the Grand Caster, Merlin, says you are the best to know him.” Artoria said as she still held the flower that Merlin had given her, a little farewell gift. </p><p>“Ah I am just a simple doll in service to him, nothing more nothing less.” She simply said. </p><p>“Oh, you say that but you exude divinity that would make other gods blush at,” Gilgamesh pointed out. </p><p>“I am creation of the gods, is it so strange that I would not embody their aura?” Marianne asked with a tilt of her head. For a moment the Doll was replaced by the visage of Enkidu. The peaceful image was soon replaced with his nightmarish brother. The mental image made Archer scoff and his head from the doll lest he do something rash again. </p><p>The other master and servants stared in shock as the seemingly invincible King Of Knights lost an argument with this Plain Doll.  </p><p>“You must have questions for me do you not?” She asked everyone as they remembered why she was there. </p><p>“Yes, we wish to know who Caster is,” First asked Tokiomi. </p><p>She looked at him with her innocent eyes. “What about him do you wish to know?” </p><p>“What is his true name?” Tried asking Waver. </p><p>“Hmm he is known by many names that he has taken. The Good Hunter, the last of The Hunter of Hunters, Cainhurst’s Ascended Vileblood, Good Brother of the League.” She named a few of the names he had garnered over his time at Yharnam. “Which one did you wish to know about?” </p><p>Kiritsugu sighed as this was getting nowhere. It wasn’t Marianne’s fault for interpreting their questions so literally. Looking over to his side, Irisviel had mini stars in her eyes. It seemed that she finally found someone so similar to her that she could potentially bond with. Disclosing the fact that she was probably as dangerous as Caster. </p><p>“Then what about this Marianne, what is this ‘Hunt’ that Caster’s hunters kept talking about.” He tried his hand in asking a question.  </p><p>She smiled softly in response to an appropriate question. “The Hunt was once a nightly ritual made by the city of Yharnam. It was their response to a beastly scourge that would turn the citizens into blood raving beasts.” </p><p>Confusion spread throughout the attendees. Yharnam? They had never heard of such a place before. </p><p>Taking note of their confusion Marianne apologized. “Ah forgive me, I had forgotten that Yharnam no longer exists in this world.” </p><p>“Exists?” Asked Iskandar. “Like the civilization is no more?” </p><p>“Not exactly. Unlike your past kingdoms, whose influence could still be felt and its relics can still be found, Yharnam no longer exists period. It has been wiped from reality, any influence it had has been erased.” </p><p>Any entire civilization, gone!? What had happened that warranted it to be erased from humanity’s history? </p><p>“M-May I ask why?” Irisviel asked the question that everyone had been dying to know. </p><p>“In order to understand why it disappeared, one must understand what Caster saw in his hunt. I believe the term is it will be easier to show you rather than telling you.” Marianne said before clasping her hands together in prayer. </p><p><b> “O little ones, O fleeting will of the ancients,” </b> She intoned as the room rippled with insight. From the table begun to crawl out these tiny pale beings. The tiny beings, Messengers, begun to move around the room as they set out to finish their objective. They wore an assortment of various decorations. Ranging from pots, to hats, bandages, and even bloody cloths.   </p><p>The various master and servants were about to fight the Messengers until a look from Marianne assured them these tiny beings meant no harm. With reluctance they sat back down as the Messengers begun moving around them. </p><p><b> “Let our fellow guests receive a vision that will shed insight on the hunt.” </b> She finished as the room begun to disappear around them and be replaced by another room. The stone walls were soon replaced by dark wood walls as windows begun to let the moon shine through its panes. The cackling sound of the fireplace created the realization that they were in an entirely different place. Looking around they noticed the many shelves that contained books of various knowledge, the altar in which one can carve runes into their body to embolden them, and a mini workbench where multiple hunter weapons hung from. </p><p>The Hunter’s Dream. </p><p>Standing up from her position, Marianne walked over to the door. She occasionally would pick up a book from the floor before setting it on either the numerous book shelves or stacks of books that littered the floor. Reaching the door, she beckoned them to join her. “Come if you wish to see the circumstances of Caster’s beginning.”  </p><p>They all stood outside of the house as they saw what the Hunter’s Dream held.  From their perch atop the staircase they could see the numerous gravestones that covered the land, each engraved with the name of previous hunters that have graced the Dream. Beyond the land all they could see were towering pillars standing tall above the mist as moon the loomed over them. </p><p>“Once upon a time Yharnam’s hunt begun as usual, with its arrival so too would the Dream’s next visitor,” The Doll explained as mist begun to pick up at the base of the stairs, surrounding a body. The mist dissipated to reveal the comatose body of a young man.  </p><p>“He was rather unremarkable at first, like a little boy thrust into a strange new land.” </p><p>The young man’s eyelids shot open as he pushed himself off of the stone path. With a frantic shout, he begun to check his body to see if he was still alive, like if he had supposedly died a very gruesome death. After making sure that he was okay, he sighed in relief. Looking around he awed at the mystical aura the Dream had. </p><p>“Yharnam was the City of the Good Blood. The Healing Church and its miraculous blood had the ability to cure any and all illnesses with a simple blood transfusion.” Visions of the Healing Church proclaiming their blood to the citizens of Yharnam as everyone begun to crowd around them and ask for their phial of this miracle blood. </p><p>“A cure-all,” Breathed Lancer in awe. No doubt he was thinking about its effect on his cursed Love Spot, if it could cure him from him and free himself from its consequences.  </p><p>“Yes the blood was miraculous but it had its drawbacks,” Answered the Doll. “If one took too much blood then would one begin to transform into hideous beasts, the hidden beasthood in man would be drawn out.” Images of a man horrifically turning into a beast. Waver steeled himself as he saw the horrific transformation, others grimaced as well. Even some horrors still affected magi after all.  For Kirei he realized that he derived some sick pleasure from seeing such a horror and continued to watch with hidden glee. </p><p>“The Church for a time was able to hide this beastly scourge but as the city begun to take the blood in copious amounts, so too did this illusion fade. So, the Church devised the Hunt, a nightly purge led by their chosen hunters to go into the city and kill any beasts they saw.” They saw the Great Bridge of Yharnam filled with church-garbed hunters as they descended unto Central Yharnam, ready to cleanse the streets. </p><p>“However, the bloodlust from such a bloody endeavor quickly turned those same hunters into blood raving beasts themselves as the hunt was soon lost and Yharnman became engulfed in chaos.” </p><p>They returned to Caster’s younger self back in the dream picking up a Saw Cleaver and a pistol, waving them around as he familiarized himself with them. After he got comfortable with them, he curiously kneeled in front of a gravestone before teleporting back to Yharnam.  </p><p>“There Caster would experience the hunt in its truest form.” They saw him stumble out of Iosefka’s clinic and walk around the city, in awe of the gothic architecture. </p><p>“He was not like other hunters, who would gladly kill any beasts he they saw. His first encounters were spent pleading for his enemies to stop. Only when all options were exhausted did he take action against them.” </p><p>“He didn’t let their deaths stop him and for a time he saw it as an appropriate thing to do, free those lost in the blood so they could peacefully rest. As he traveled across the city, he met those that had their sanity in check, his hope for a better tomorrow rising.” They saw him knock on various doors, asking if they were alright. He was met with scorn from them but that could not keep a smile off his face as sane people were still alive during this mess. They saw how he met Eileen above some rafters, to find that he was not alone in this hunt. </p><p>They also saw his deaths by the hands of lurking citizens with pitchforks in the dark, how he got chewed upon by wolves, and one time where he was lost in thought and fell in the sewers from a considerable height. His more gruesome death by the hands of a Cleric Beast as it smashed his body into a pulp. </p><p>“For a hunter of the Dream, death is only a setback. Each death that he faced only made him grow stronger as a result. His hope for a brighter tomorrow could not easily be deterred.” He woke back up in the Dream, ready to travel back to Yharnam only to stop and stare at the new person waiting for him. </p><p>There they saw what the Doll had originally been, only a tool for hunters to bolster their strength with the blood of their enemies. They noted that the Doll was less human, more robotic, in her greeting than she was now. How he curiously greeted the doll with a bow, to which she returned, and gave his hand to her so that she could empower his sickly body. With a wave Caster said goodbye before returning back to Yharnam, hopes high now that he was stronger than before. </p><p>“However, his hope would soar high, only to be crushed.” Marianne said as Caster stopped by a window to ask the occupants inside if they were all right. </p><p>He was greeted by a little girl. “Who... are you? I don't know your voice, but I know that smell... Are you a hunter? Then, please, will you look for my mum? Daddy never came back from the hunt, and she went to find him, but now she's gone, too... I'm all alone... and scared..." </p><p>“He agreed to help the little girl in her plight,” Caster nodded to the little girl’s plea to which she thanked him profusely. </p><p>"Really? Oh, thank you! My m-mum wears a red jeweled brooch. It's so big and... and beautiful. You won't miss it. Oh, I mustn't forget. If you find my mum, give her this music box. It plays one of daddy's favorite songs. And when daddy forgets us we play it for him so he remembers. Mum's so silly, running off without it!" Through a little opening the girl handed an ornate music box to Caster. </p><p>"My mum wears a red jeweled brooch. It's so big and beautiful. You won't miss it. Oh, and if you find her, give her this music box. Please, I know you can do it." </p><p>Seeing the distress in the girl’s voice reminded both Kiritsugu and Irisviel of their daughter back home, who must be worried sick over their wellbeing.  </p><p>“Caster would’ve made a great knight.” Mused Artoria seeing how selfless he was. He would’ve fit right in with her Knight of the Rounds.  </p><p>“Yes, he had a very big caring heart but the Hunt is not so kind to those of such selfless natures.” Foreshadowed the Doll as they witnessed Caster roam the city to find the missing parents. With no luck was he able to find a woman wearing a red bright brooch or the father. </p><p>Up until he arrived at the Tomb of Oedon. </p><p>Upon entering he knew something was wrong. The corpses everywhere and the copious amount of blood that stained the tombstones.  </p><p>And the black garbed hunter who had lost himself to the bloodlust of the hunt.  </p><p>"...Beasts all over the shop... You'll be one of them, sooner or later..." </p><p>He fought with him of course, reason no longer able to be used in Yharnam. He used the tombstones as cover for the hunter’s devastating strikes with his axe and blunderbuss. Taking his time he would get a couple of hits before dodging out of the way and sometimes using his pistol to get a lucky visceral attack on him.  </p><p>The fight continued upward as Caster was slowly pushed up the stairs by the hunter. He was running low on blood phials and quicksilver bullets but his opponent seemed to be in the state as him, his labored breathing and the numerous blood wounds were testaments to that fact. </p><p>That was until he roared before transforming into this terrifying beast. </p><p>“Hunters were the ones to always turn into the most horrifying beasts,” Said Marianne as they witnessed Caster get thrown around like a toy, as he begun panicking by this sudden transformation. He desperately tried to get a hit in, to regain some form of control, only to be punched through the railing by one of the strikes and falling on a roof, right next to a woman’s corpse. </p><p>Seeing the corpse made Caster remember something but he couldn’t ponder on it as the hunter turned beast joined him on the rooftop. </p><p>Unable to do anything to defend against the beast, Caster prepared to accept his fate, to add another death to his tally.  </p><p>Only to be saved by the melody of the music box that the little girl had given him. In his fall it seemed that the music box had fallen out of his cloak and opened up to begin playing its melodious tune. Like recalling a bad memory, the beast begun thrashing around, clutching his head as if he was trying to desperately remember something.  </p><p>Taking advantage of his crippled state, Caster threw some Molotov Cocktails that set the beast aflame before slashing it with his Saw Cleaver repeatedly until it doubled over in pain and died. </p><p>Standing up and looking at the dead corpse, he couldn’t help but notice why the beast seemed so similar. The black church garb that he wore was almost like... </p><p>“And my daddy wears a big black garb. He seems tall and scary but he’s the kindest man ever.” Remembering the little girl’s description of her father, dread set in as he realized who he had just killed. The others now coming to the same conclusion that he had. </p><p>Looking to his right he saw the dead woman that laid across the now dead Gascoigne. Her bright red dress was covered in her own blood but one ornament stood out.  </p><p>A bright red brooch. </p><p>“No,” Irisviel said in horror as Caster begun to throw up on the ground, his failure too much for him to handle. This failure being one of the many that he would have in his hunt as Gascoigne and his wife laid dead in front of him. </p><p>Was it solace that couple had died together or was it a mockery of his kindness? </p><p>The area around them begun to bleed back into reality as they found themselves back at the planning room. Each person was battling with their own thoughts on one of the many adversities that Caster faced in Yharnam. </p><p>Marianne stood up from her chair as she looked at the assembled master and servants. “You have seen what Caster has experienced, the lowest of humanity. You ask me why he is here and now I give you the answer. Show him that there is something of worth in humanity, something worth fighting for. Show him a resolve that a young boy once showed” With a bow she begun to turn to mist, her purpose having been fulfilled. </p><p>“What now?” Asked Kayneth as they needed to come to a decision about Caster. </p><p>“We have an opponent that can wipe out an entire civilization with a flick of his hand, we can’t win” Argued Tokiomi. He had many things he wished to accomplish and dying an early death was not one of them. </p><p>“Then why has he not wiped us out already.” Argued Waver. “If he so wished for then this church would be flooding right now with enemies.” </p><p>“We may not know all the answers but one thing is certain,” Saber said before she pulled out Excalibur and stabbed it on the map, specifically the Fuyuki Clocktower. </p><p>“This is our next move, if we wish to know more then we must show Caster that we are not going to cower before his strength and his Hunt.” </p><p>“Well, well, well the little girl of Britain is showing her true colors, I like it!” Rider grinned as he joined her. </p><p>“Agreed, I must still fight for my master and save Sola-Ui from Caster,” Lancer agreed. </p><p>“Hmph it seems that you truly are a worthy mongrel after all Saber,” Archer said. </p><p>“We shall join as well,” Simply said Assassin. </p><p>Looking at the other masters and seeing that there were no signs of disapproval, the actual planning begun. From here on out, there was no turning back. </p><p>From the shadows one Messenger was still observing the master and servants. Seeing that they had regained their bravado, it shook it head in approval before disappearing. </p><hr/><p>In the flowery plains of Avalon, high above in his tower, Merlin gazed out into the endless expanse of the utopia. One might consider this tower to be a prison as all he could move was only a few feet wide, but he found other ways of finding amusement. </p><p>He liked to visit it at times to the human world, often in spirit form but those special times where he could visit in person were worth the possible repercussions. </p><p>Feeling ‘Caster’ appear behind him had him turn around and greet his visitor. “Oh, it nice to see you here Caster” </p><p>‘Caster’ smiled at the Grand Caster as he walked next to him, the two gazing off into the endless flower fields of Avalon. </p><p>“I see that you’ve left Avalon to go to Fuyuki City,” ‘Caster’ said. </p><p>“And I see that you’ve also left your Dream to enter the waking world once more,” Merlin fired back. </p><p>“Technically I was summoned so I’m not breaking any rules.” ‘Caster’ defended. </p><p>“And technically wherever you go, so do the Grand Class servants. So, I am not breaking any rules here as well.”  </p><p>“Hahaha you were always one to have a fun time with Merlin,” Caster laughed as they fell back into silence. </p><p>“Merlin...Am I doing the right thing?”  He asked as Merlin looked at him. He may put up a strong front but the Grand Class servants knew the insecurities that plagued him. Even after his ascension he was still the young boy traumatized by the events of Yharnam. </p><p>“No, I don’t believe that you are doing the right thing,” He said truthfully. “Out of all the Grand Class servants your choices affect the world much deeper than any sword or spell could ever do. Any wrong move and the world suffers because of it.” He placed a reassuring hand on ‘Caster’s’ shoulder. “But out of all us, I sympathize with the need to reaffirm your love for humanity, to remember why you chose this path that you walk one.” </p><p>“Thank you Merlin, truly your words mean much to me.” ‘Caster’ gratefully said before walking away.  </p><p>“I pray that you find the answer you are looking for,” He called out. </p><p>“Believe me with the way things are going, I will find it soon,” ‘Caster’ bowed before spiritualizing away. </p><p>“My he certainly is a handful to deal with,” Merlin mused before looking back at the endless flower plains of Avalon. “The class that comes in contact with the madness of eldritch beings and are able to resist the temptation of maddening. By all means a class that is considered a threat to humanity.” Picking up a flower, he let it fly out into the vast expanses of Avalon, its fate changing with every gust of the wind. </p><p>“Yet only he could make the impossible happen,” Merlin chuckled as he watched with curiosity the events brewing in Fuyuki City.  It would alleviate his immortal boredom after all because the host was so good in making the grandest of performances.  </p><p>“Isn’t that right, Grand Foreigner?” </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Chapter 11 is done! How’d you like Caster really being the Grand Foreigner? Originally thought to make him a Ruler but after reading the Foreigner Class description there was no other path. Still some of you guys already knew this and I’m so surprised with this! Not going to lie I was planning for Marianne to show the entire Caster’s hunt in the span of multiple chapters but seemed too much and it would be filler chapters. Next chapter has us visiting the Choir, that’s all I’m saying. </p><p>Now some of you have wondered if I’ll make another story after this and I’m happy to say that I am planning on making a Fate/Aprocrypha and Dark Souls story. That’s all I’ll say but once this story gets close to hitting the end, I’ll start showing some info about it.  </p><p>Welp that’s all for now and as always... </p><p>“May The Cosmos Shine In Your Favor This Day!” </p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. The Sky And Cosmos Are One</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Kariya expected to wake up back at his father’s workshop, to be surrounded by his familiars and be mocked of how much of a failure he was.  </p><p>He did not expect to wake up in a gothic looking clinic.  </p><p>He looked around to see only one person in the clinic with him, busy inspecting various blood vials and tools. She was humming a little tune to herself as she cleaned the various tools of her clinic. </p><p>Looking around and feeling his body not be bound to the bed, he tried to leave the bed and leave the room. He could still feel his connection with Berserker but couldn’t call him at the moment. Maybe something about the clinic made it impossible for him to call Berserker. </p><p>Slowly navigating his feet off the bed, he made sure to keep his eyes on the other person in the room so that he could react fast enough if she decided to turn her head around. However, his focus on her had severely hindered his peripheral sight. </p><p>And he would pay of it by his foot loudly smacking into a metal bed frame, its ringing as clear as day. </p><p>Kariya swore as the woman dropped whatever she was working on and zeroed on noisemaker. Stealth was thrown out the window as he begun scrambling out of the bed and make a beeline for the door. His legs, unfortunately, were still weak from his self-sacrificing back at the alley way so he flopped onto the floor with a thud. </p><p>“Oh dear,” The white clad woman said before kneeling down to help him.  The wounded master flinched as the hand came closer to him, he closed his eyes fully expecting to get hurt. Imagine to his surprise when a soft hand caressed his cheek, the side that held the extent of his damage by his crest worms. Her soft hands eased any pain that he had felt as he looked up at this angel. </p><p>“You must be so confused and scared right now but don’t worry. I, Iosefka, promise to nurse you back to health.” Her soft voice was so angelic that he allowed her to lead her back into the bed as she eased him back in. “You should rest now, the time for questions and answers can come later,” She assured him as the door opened up. </p><p>“Miss Iosefka!,” Two children yelled before running at the doctor. Giggling she knelt down with her arms open wide as she caught the two children in a massive embrace. She peppered the kids with kisses as they laughed in her arms. </p><p>“Now what are my two favorite children doing here?” She asked. </p><p>The one on her right, who seemed older than the one on the left, responded. “We got bored so we wanted to visit you!” The girl on the her left nodded in agreement. </p><p>“Hmm and what of your father and mother? I’m sure Gascoigne and Viola would be worried sick right now.”  </p><p>This time the youngest answered. “Nope, papa’s helping Mister Logarius at the Clocktower while mama was invited by Miss Maria for a tea party with the other ladies.” </p><p>As the three ladies talked, Kariya squirmed in his bed as felt out of place. He wondered if he could get some sleep until the eldest child noticed him. “Oh, you’re the mister that saved us in the alleyway!”  </p><p>Quickly putting down the children, Iosefka gave the children a stern teaching. “You two were out while the hunt was still going on, what if you got hurt or worse!?” </p><p>“I mean mister Brador wouldn’t have hurt us,” The youngest protested. </p><p>“And if he didn’t recognize you? You know that Brador tends to forget faces when he gets into a fight. What then!?” She put a hand on her hip as she expected some sort of reasoning for their actions.  </p><p>Realizing now that their actions weren’t the safest thing to do and feeling guilty about it, they apologized. “W-w-were s-s-sorry!” They both bawled out before running back into Iosefka’s arms, who soothingly rubbed circles on their backs to calm them down. “Shhh..it’s alright now. As long as you promise not to do this every again.” </p><p>Both girls nodded as another woman entered the room. “Oh, that’s where you guys ran off to.” </p><p>“Miss Arianna!” Their little moment was forgotten as they once more ran into another familiar figure. Chuckling she patted the heads of the two girls as they hugged the hem of her dress. “Now, now we can’t have you ruining this dress before our little tea party.” </p><p>Realization dawned on both girls as they realized what was happening. “You don’t mean!” They said excitedly. </p><p>Arianna nodded at their guesses. “Yes, Lady Maria has invited both of you to the tea party. After all, as future ladies of Cainhurst, one should familiarize themselves in our customs.” She patted down her dress before addressing Iosefka. “Now dear Iosefka a favor if you would. These two need the appropriate dresses for the party so could fetch them some dresses. I have something to do with our dear guest.” </p><p>Nodding Iosefka took both of the girls’ hands before leaving the room, not without a goodbye from the children. </p><p>“Bye mister!” They said before leaving the two alone in the room. </p><p>“So, you are the guest that has Caster’s interest piqued.” She said as she moved closer to him. As she got Kariya took note of how beautiful she was. Refined features that lend credence to the fact that she seemed to be some figure of nobility. “I-I guess,” He lamely said as she stopped at the side of his bed. </p><p>“Hmm not bad,” She said she inspected him, huh what was she talking about...! His inner thoughts were cut short as she placed herself on his lap, a small smile on her face as she leaned closer. “W-what,” He stammered out before she placed a finger on his lips, silencing him. “You’re not bad yourself,” She whispered as her hands roamed his body.  </p><p>Kariya could smell the faint smell of strawberry on her body, it smelled exquisite on her. Somewhere in the back of his mind Kariya knew that this was wrong but as the women drew in closer, her lips almost meeting with his, he didn’t care anymore.  </p><p>“Kariya?” A little memory played out in his mind as he saw her back at their favorite ice cream shop. Even if she was dressed in casual clothes, she was still as beautiful as always. </p><p>“No!” He yelled as in a final moment of clarity as he pushed Arianna away and turned his head away.  </p><p>Arianna looked at him before getting off the bed and straightening her dress. “It seems that you truly are worthy of interest right Caster?” She called out knowingly as the door opened as Caster walked in to Kariya’s shock.  </p><p>“Thank you Arianna for fulfilling my request,” Caster thanked as he walked in. </p><p>“Anything for you old friend, now if you can excuse me; I have a tea party to attend to,” She said before leaving the room. </p><p>“Come Kariya Matou, walk with me for we have much to discuss.” Unable to refuse his request, lest he get on his bad side, he stood up from the bed and walked with Caster across the Ryuuduo Temple. </p><p>As they walked around the temple, Kariya felt awkward as they passed any Choir members for once they realized that Caster was in their presence, they reverently bowed to him. Just walking a foot away from him they would also bow to him too, such treatment had him highly uncomfortable.  </p><p>“You must be wondering why you’re here beside me and not six feet under?” Caster asked as they were walking down an empty hallway. </p><p>“Uh yeah,” He said not knowing what else to say. </p><p>“Well I’ll get right to the point.” He turned around and looked the crippled master dead in the eye. “I want to help you rescue Sakura.” </p><p>“Yeah no, like I’d join forces with... Huh!” He shouted in surprise as Caster chuckled seeing his response. “W-Why?” He couldn't even fathom why he was offering for help. </p><p>“It’s simple really, I wish to save a child from the living hell that your father has placed on her.” He turned his gaze to the moon, reminiscing on the past. “I have failed two children already; I shall not fail a third.” He softly said before walking forward and opening a door to the outside. </p><p>The pair walked out into the courtyard and were greeted by a group of hunters. This group was strange as they seemed to be plucked right of a civil war documentary. Wearing navy blue uniforms that were tailored exceptionally. Many of them were chatting between themselves until they begun to notice that their lord had arrived and placed their hand over their heart and thrusted their other hand high up into the air, a staff in hand. </p><p>“Leave it to Valtr to make an extravagant show,” Caster muttered while he facepalmed at the show that he was being given. Kariya was similarly in a state of confusion by what the group was doing. </p><p>“Valtr where the hell are you!” He called out as Kariya looked in shock, Valtr was here!? The group had ceased their posing as a single hunter moved through the crowd. He wore the same blue navy outfit that his fellow hunters were wearing but what made him stand out was that he was wearing a strange iron helm that resembled a bucket almost with a single eye opening for the wearer to see. </p><p>“V-Valtr!?” Kariya called in shock at seeing how the friend he made in the convenience shop was currently dressed. </p><p>“Greetings! It is good to see you unharmed my dear friend,” Shouted Valtr as he came closer. He enveloped the master in a tight hug before letting go and shaking the hands of Caster. “I was told that you needed my League for something?” </p><p>“You could say that my friend, I am need of some bugs to be exterminated.” He looked knowingly at the League Master. </p><p>“Ah then there are <b>vermin </b>to get rid of,” Kariya took a step back at the sheer malice in Valtr’s otherwise cheery voice. </p><p>Kariya begun putting the pieces together by what the two were talking about. “Y-you don’t mean...” He trailed off as Caster answered him. </p><p>“Zouken Matou has overstayed his welcome in the living world.” </p><p>“B-but you can’t! He’s...” He didn’t know if mentioning the fact that he was practically immortal. He feared that the help he was given would be taken away. </p><p>“Immortal? Such a thing cannot deter us from our holy crusade,” A voice called out.  </p><p>Turning their heads, they saw Ludwig the Holy Blade joining them on the courtyard. Dressed in his church garb and his Holy Moonlight Blade strapped to his back, he bowed in greeting. </p><p>“Forgive me milord for taking too long, I was searching for Marianne but it seems that she has disappeared.”  </p><p>“Worry not Ludwig, a certain wizard is at play here and I will confront him soon enough,” He placed a hand on Ludwig’s shoulder just as he was leaving. “I trust you can lead this mission?” </p><p>“Of course milord, an insect is nothing,” Assured Ludwig. </p><p>“Then I leave it in your care,” Caster waved as he walked back into the temple. </p><p>With Caster gone all attention shifted onto Kariya who begun looking around frantically. He was never one to have so much attention on him at once. “W-what!?” </p><p>“Well we are waiting for a leader to lead us into battle,” Valtr simply said as the League behind him gave shouts and cheers. </p><p>“U-uh....” Kariya was left dumbfounded but could not ponder on it as he shouted in surprise as black mist began pooling next to him. With a howl, Berserker had arrived. </p><p>“You know what I’m done, let's go,” He finished as he began walking out of the temple and back into the city, not waiting for any more surprises. His servant and the League close behind him. </p><p>He gazed up at the moon and clenched his fist over his heart as made sure to fulfill his promise to Sakura. </p><p>“I’m coming Sakura, just wait a little bit longer.” </p><p>- </p><p>Meanwhile in the deeper confines of the Temple. </p><p>Sola-Ui woke up. </p><p>Blinking back into reality, she noticed that she was in a darkened room. Trying to move, she noticed that she was simply tied to a chair with a simple rope. Testing the strength, she noticed that the rope itself wasn’t tied that well and by flexing her hand she could easily get out of her predicament. </p><p>“So, you’re awake,” A familiar voice called out as she looked up to see Irene looking at her in amusement. She could feel her anger boiling at the sight of her smirk and promised a world of pain when she got out of her chains. </p><p>“You awoke much faster than I anticipated but no matter, you can stay awake while I do my work,” She dismissively said before turning her back to work on whatever she was working on before her prisoner had woken up. </p><p>“Your funeral,” She thought before beginning to wriggle her hands free of the rope. It didn’t take long for her to get free of the rope before she brought her hand up to begin a spell to fire out the back of her captor. She would vaporize the poor vixen for underestimating her! </p><p>“Did you really think that I wouldn’t notice,” Irene called out as horrible pain suddenly erupted with her. The pain was too much to handle as she let out a strangled cry before collapsing onto the floor. It felt like her body was being turned inside out. </p><p>“You must be really dumb to think I didn’t do anything while you were asleep,” Irene said as she knelt down in front of the writhing magus. She taunted her as she held up an empty syringe and pointed to her neck where she had given her a dose. </p><p>“Scre-e-w you!!” She shouted in pain as the writhing became worse. She could feel her mouth pool with blood as it underwent a hideous transformation, her teeth feeling like they multiplied tenfold and her head felt like it was ballooning. Her arms begun stretching past the normal as flesh tore themselves past their limit as bone revealed themselves. For a moment she was no longer seeing through her two eyes bit through multiple eyes. Her screaming had slowly begun to turn into screeching. </p><p>“Oh? You’re not turning into kin?” Irene knelt closer to see what she was turning into. A few seconds passed before she realized what she was turning into. “Ah you’re turning into that thing!? Astounding! Out of all my experiments you were the only one to turn into this creature, you should feel honored.” Praised the vixen. </p><p>“Well I don’t want to stick by and have you going berserk so I’ll take my leave, but don’t worry!” She stood up and walked over to a record player and begun playing a tune that she loved to hear when she was alone. “I’m curious to see if your singing is like the rest of your kind or can it be influenced by other means?” She pondered before closing the door. </p><p>“H-h-help me,” In her last vestiges of sanity, Sola-Ui reached out to anyone for help with her now transformed arm. “Diarmuid, Kayneth, anyone!” She pleaded as the pain got increasingly worse, her head now in this bulbous state with tendrils now coming out of it. </p><p>“P-please,” She muttered one last time before the transformation completed as she lost herself to a wave of pain. In her last moments as Sola-Ui... </p><p>Faint singing was all she knew. </p><p>In the hallways of the temple, Irene hummed to herself a tune before stopping when she heard an exquisite song play in the room that she had just left. </p><p>“Dear Patches,” She called out as a spider crawled down the roof to greet her. This was no ordinary spider as he was the size of a human and also had the face of a man instead of a regular spider. </p><p>“Yes Irene,” Patches gleefully greeted. Irene simply gave him the best of gifts and he was sure that this gift would be exceptional as well. </p><p>“I have a little gift for you back in my clinic that should spice up things in the sewer,” She adopted a sick sweet smile as Patches did the same thing. </p><p>“Spice up the madness?” He asked </p><p>“Yes, it should do quite nicely there,” The two shared a sick bout of laughter with each other, their deranged enjoyment clear as day. </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Chapter 12 finished! Sola-Ui is our first casualty in this story and far from the last. I’m pretty sure you guys know what she turned into with all the obvious hints. Next chapter will be Kariya and the League confronting Zouken. In hindsight this chapter should’ve been before ‘Oh Good Hunter’ but now it's here. </p><p>Welp that’s it for now and as always. </p><p>May the Cosmos Shine in Your Favor This Day!! </p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Let Us Cleanse These Streets</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>In the quiet streets of Fuyuki City, nothing stirred. All was silent as no servant, hunter, beast, or cosmic horror roamed around the barren streets.  </p><p>Perfect for Aoi Tohsaka as she moved as fast as she could. </p><p>“Sakura I’m coming for you,” She muttered as she rounded a corner and saw that she was not far from the Matou Estate. Just thinking about that place gave her a sense of dread that she couldn’t place a finger on. Maybe it was the warnings that Kariya had given her whenever she tried to pry about the Matou secrets. </p><p>“Kariya,” She thought as she ran past a familiar ice cream shop. This was where they would spend their evenings, savoring the delectable ice cream that the place made. It had made her long for the good old days where everything was so simple. </p><p>“If it wasn’t for Tokiomi acting the way he was now then maybe I wouldn’t have to resort to this.” It wasn’t like she hated Tokiomi, but recent events had showed a side she didn’t want to know. He was such a kind gentleman in the beginning, always being considerate of her feelings before their marriage. </p><p>After marriage however, she got to know what she believed was the true Tokiomi. Always insistent on his own ways, he made sure that his word was law. When it came to anything she wished for, it always required his word on it. When Rin was born and anytime she spoke up against him... </p><p>Kariya had looked on in concern when she tried to hide the bruises on her body. At least with him her wellbeing was always his first concern. His caring nature for her had sort of grown on her and maybe, just maybe in another life, she could see herself being with him. </p><p>“We just have to live with our decisions,” She quoted Kariya when he had defended why he was leaving his family. Something inside of her wished to join him, to be free of the magus lifestyle; but she was too weak back then. Always clinging onto others for courage. </p><p>Now as she stood in front of the Matou Mansion, its gates open wide for her to enter. She knew that this was a trap but for Sakura, her daughter that she should’ve never let go of. </p><p>It was time to take a step of courage by herself. </p><hr/><p>“Kariya enlighten me on who Zouken is as a person,” Ludwig asked as their group walked down the streets of Fuyuki. The mansion just happened to be on the other side of the city where the temple was so they had time to spare.  </p><p>“Huh why would you want to know about him?” He curiously questioned. His father wasn’t someone you wanted to know about all the details surrounding him. The less you knew, the better. </p><p>“Well for starters, he is your father. A son plotting to kill their father is not the easiest thing to do after all.”  </p><p>“Father? That insect is anything but that,” Once upon a time Kariya had considered Zouken as a father. At a young age he had adored his father, eager to learn the Matou’s magecraft as he had a childhood dream of being a wizard. </p><p>Then one day he had ignored his father’s warnings and ventured into their workshop wanting to see the magical wonders within. </p><p>He saw a person being devoured by his father’s crest worms. The horror on their face as they were being eaten alive by insects had traumatized the young Kariya. His father had come in, shocked to see his promising son witnessing the horrors of his workshop. Demanding answers, Kariya had hoped to hear how this was all a big misunderstanding, how this was all just a bad dream. </p><p>His father had showed his true colors that day and that was when he had seen the true horrors of the magus life. </p><p>He wasn’t going to associate himself with this hell and left his family, not caring if his bright future no longer existed. The day he left he had tried to convince Aoi to leave her family, telling what horrors he had seen in the workshop. But she wasn’t budging, she didn’t want to leave to her family and the life she had built. </p><p>“You’re a great man Kariya, not many have the courage to do such a thing,” Ludwig patted his shoulder assuredly. </p><p>“And what good that did,” He gestured to his crippled state. </p><p>“Oh, I am not so sure about that, great actions are always rewarded my friend. They just take a while to be gifted.” Ludwig wisely spoke before stopping, Kariya doing the same. </p><p>“We are here,” Valtr announced as they looked up to see the countless boundary fields surrounding the estate. It seems that Zouken had found them out and set his estate into a full-on defense mode. The prana that the boundary fields produced was heavy and suffocating for any that came near. Decades of staying alive had translated to the creation of multiple boundary fields to ward off any intruders. </p><p>“M-maybe I can enter, see if I can get the old man to drop it,” Offered Kariya as he basically volunteered to go on a suicide mission. He did not come this close to saving Sakura just to be stopped now! </p><p>“That is a bad idea, Zouken knows of your involvement and will kill you without a second glance,” Valtr argued. </p><p>“T-then what...,” He was cut short as the crest worms in his body finally decided to act and begin feasting on his body. He hunched his body over and quickly threw up blood onto the road. </p><p>“It seems that he no longer has a use for you,” Valtr noticed before turning back to his League. “But he has acted too late as death waits for him on his front gate!” With a thunderous shout, the League got riled up. The hunters cheered and shouted as they pulled their weapons out and prepared themselves to storm the estate. </p><p>“Step back Kariya, or I may kill you on accident,” Stepping forward Ludwig unstrapped his Moonlight Greatsword. With a wave of his hand, the blade assumed its mystical green glow. The cosmos within the blade shined brightly in the night.  </p><p>“It is good to see you again my mentor,” For Ludwig, this blade had seen him through his darkest of nights. Even when he had lost himself to the thralls of beasthood, his guiding moonlight was still by his side, and now... </p><p>It would deliver justice once more. </p><p>“SHINE!” He shouted as he thrusted the sword forward. The cosmos within shot forth like a tidal wave as it collided with the estate’s boundary fields. The boundary fields glowed for an instant, before collapsing under the might of the greatsword. Within a second, all that Zouken had built was gone in a blink of an eye. </p><p>The now defenseless estate was now at the mercy of the League, who were eager to cleanse the horrors within. </p><p>Zouken however was not going down without a fight. </p><p>The courtyard suddenly buzzed with life as a massive centipede arose from the ground, other insect monstrosities joining it. It screeched into the night as it revealed its inner mouth of teeth before shooting off to the disgraced heir, mouth open wide to devour the sorry magus. </p><p><b> “Vermin,” </b> Valtr muttered with malice as he positioned himself in front of Kariya, his Whirligig Saw roaring with life as he placed it in front of himself. The poor centipede shredded itself down the middle as the saw tore through its flesh like tissue and before long the corpse split in two as the remains sailed past them. </p><p>Kariya was about to thank Valtr when his words died in his throat when the helmeted hunter turned around. The blood stains on him now changed this once innocent hunter to a demon itself. </p><p><b> “Cleanse this estate my League, expunge any filth that you see,” </b> He called out and in doing so released the hounds of war. With a shout the League rushed into the estate, tearing through any insects they saw. The estate soon dissolved into chaos as the League pushed themselves into the estate as the insects inside revealed themselves and Valtr soon joined them. </p><p>“Come Kariya,” Ludwig rested his Moonlight Greatsword on his shoulder as he motioned at the open path to the estate, the insects too caught up with fighting the League to be able to stop them. “Let us save your child.” Ludwig started to walk to the front door </p><p>“Yes lets...Wait! She’s not my child!” He yelled as he ran up to Ludwig, trying to frantically deny what he had said.  </p><hr/><p>“What is this!” Aoi shouted as she held her dear Sakura in her arms, protecting her from the monster that stood a few feet away from her. Sakura held on for dear life as the torture that she was enduring had now ended and she found herself back in her mother’s embrace. She didn’t want to return back to her new life and wanted to be back with her family. </p><p>“Oh? I thought you knew Aoi Tohsaka. This was what your husband wanted for her after all.” The head of the Matou family motioned to the infested walls of the workshop. Each part was swarming with insects. A little ring of fire that she had chanted surrounded them but the fire would soon die out and the insects would swarm them. </p><p>“Mommy I don’t want to go with him,” Sakura muttered into her dress, tears soaking it. The little girl had no idea if she was dreaming or not but would not let go of the hope of a peaceful tomorrow. </p><p>“Don’t worry baby, mommy has got you,” Aoi kissed the top of her child’s head before glaring at the monster in front of her. </p><p>“So, you are the one that Kariya holds to such a high esteem,” He mused. “You don’t look like much yet he would come back to my family for you.” </p><p>“Kariya?” She questioned. Her best friend would not have come back to his father’s family, not so easily. </p><p>“Hahahaha did you think he came willingly?” He laughed as he begun explaining. “No, you misunderstand child, Kariya would never come back to me even if I held a sword to his neck.” If there was one thing, he had to commend his child for was the tenacity that he inherited from him. Even if he was working with meager funds the boy still refused to join him, a pity. “But the moment he got word that your little girl was now mine he came and begged me to let her go, so...” He held up one the many crest worms he had given him so that he could have a chance in the Grail War. </p><p>“N-no you don’t mean,” She trailed off as she realized what he was referring to. </p><p>“Oh yes my son would destroy his own body just so that he could have a chance at winning the Grail War, he would spit on the dreams of his family just to impress a girl that he can no longer get; how far the Matous have fallen.” Zouken said in distaste. </p><p>While she should’ve felt dread that her best friend was essentially killing himself for her sake; she must admit that it flattered her. Feeling her heart beat in a way that she forgot for such a long time was a very pleasant feeling. </p><p>“Zouken!” A voice shouted as the workshop door opened and the disgraced heir entered. It seemed that he didn’t see Aoi and Sakura when he entered as he gave no form of acknowledging their presence. With a shout he jumped off the stairs and onto the floors of the workshop, Berserker materializing right beneath him to catch him. </p><p>“Well if it isn’t my son, finally grown a spine, have you?” Taunted Zouken. </p><p>“You know what’s coming for you and you know it you bastard!” He shouted as Berserker settled into a fighting stance. </p><p>“K-Kariya?” Asked a shocked Aoi, staring in shock by this new personality of her friend. </p><p>“A-Aoi!?” An equally shocked Kariya exclaimed as he turned around to see his crush right behind him. </p><p>Such an action opened him up as Zouken acted. He commanded any of the crest worms inside of him to frenzy and devour the poor man’s body from the inside out. It would be amusing to see this bravado that his son had turn quickly into pain and suffering. </p><p>One second had passed. </p><p>Then another. </p><p>And another. </p><p>“Why aren’t you dying!” He shouted as the crest worms inside of him weren’t responding to his commands. </p><p>Then a bright light emanated from the master as a cosmic slug wormed its way out of his pockets and floated to the floor graciously. The little slug looked around as it established dominance by standing upright as high as it could and began wiggling its two tentacle antennas menacingly. One insect was brave enough to try and challenge the slug. </p><p>Only to get vaporized by the cosmic power the slug held. </p><p>“Did you think my master did not know about the crest worms within Kariya,” Ludwig spoke as he arrived and dropped down and joined Kariya. </p><p>“While we may have not had enough time to expunge the crest worms within, we were able to block your connection to them with a greater authority nearby,” He motioned to the slug that was glowing as a way of gloating. </p><p>“So, you are one of Caster’s lackeys, a shame that you have chosen a life of slavery rather than that of riches and power.” </p><p>“What would an insect know of grandeur of riches, you claim to want power but all I see is a poor excuse of a man who would wait for something that will never come rather than try to and take it for himself.” Ludwig mocked. </p><p>“The path to greatness takes time, and the human body is simply not capable of waiting that long,” He motioned to his body that was no longer human but rather insect familiars that all shared one mind. </p><p>“And if you are unable to achieve anything in your life normally then you shall achieve nothing with immortality, fools like you and Wilhelm cannot see this,” The Church hunter coolly stated. </p><p>“Tch enough of this, I will just kill you all myself!” He shouted as he forced every insect to swarm the group. The workshop was filled with screeching as the swarm descended upon the magus, hunters, and servants. </p><p>With a wave of his sword, Ludwig shot out a wave of moonlight energy as the first wave of insects disintegrated on contact. There was a noticeable number of insects killed by the strike but was soon overlooked as they were seemingly replaced by double the number. </p><p>Berserker howled before pulling out his own weapons. The League had found the mad servant a worthy member of the League and decided to gift him some of their weapons. </p><p>Specifically, a Beast Cutter and a Whirligig Saw; though Lancelot had changed it considerably. For instead of wielding both weapons, his Noble Phantasm had combined them into one scary creation. The new weapon retained the Beast Cutter’s notorious whip mode but now at the end of it was attached the saw of the Whirligig. </p><p>He had essential created a weapon made to kill hordes. </p><p>With a swing the new weapon massacred anything that got caught in the serrated edges of either the whip or the saw. Sure, the workshop was able to create the insects almost infinitely but with Lancelot flailing his weapon around like a madman, it didn’t matter. However, Ludwig could tell that the servant couldn’t keep this up indefinitely so he needed to end this with one strike. </p><p><b> “Be with me,” </b>He intoned as held his beloved sword up. The blade began to draw energy as it slowly illuminated the room, growing brighter with each second. </p><p>Zouken realized what was happening and doubled the swarm of insects in hoped of defeating the group before the Noble Phantasm was released. Kariya instinctively placed himself in front of the girls while Berserker flailed his weapon more erratically to stop the flood from overtaking them. </p><p><b> “In the darkest of nights, where all else cannot be seen, where hope can no longer shine the way,”</b> He held up his sword above his head, now a beacon in the workshop. The light that spilled forth from the blade could now be compared with the intensity of the Sun. </p><p><b> “But I shall not fear for I am not alone,” </b>He turned the sword from facing upward to facing downward at the floor. </p><p><b> “</b><b>Mondscheinsonate </b> <b> (Moonlight Sonata)!” </b>With a downward thrust the Holy Moonlight Greatsword erupted in a shower of cosmic energy. The cascading energy bathed the room entirely as any insects that were in were vaporized at the contact. The cosmic slug that was brought glowed brightly as the cosmic energy parted away from it and avoided any that had been blessed by the slug, which so happened to be the Kariya, Berserker, Aoi, and her daughter Sakura. </p><p>With one more bright flare of the Noble Phantasm, the workshop was now devoid of any insects. Zouken Matou was longer present in the room as it seemed that he had been wiped out by the strike. </p><p>“Come Sir Kariya and Miss Aoi, the prey has been slaughtered,” Ludwig picked up the cosmic slug and placed it on his shoulder before motioning for the stairs out. </p><p>As the group walked out of the workshop, they marveled at the devastation the League had inflicted on the mansion. Not a single inch of the estate had been spared as the floor and walls had been torn apart and insect blood painted the walls. Decades of Matou heritage destroyed in a single raid by the League. </p><p>They walked out of the house to see the League were celebrating at the courtyard. It seemed that everyone was accounted for and were currently enjoying their victory. Many of them were toasting with blood cocktails, a delicacy in Yharnam, as they danced and laughed the night away.  </p><p>“Ah it seems that we are successful after all!” Valtr greeted them joyously. </p><p>“Thank you for your help, please give Caster my thanks for his help this night,” Aoi sincerely thanked as she held her daughter, who fell asleep from the realization that she was back in the arms of her mother and not the sinister embrace of Zouken. She could now dream peacefully without fear of being tortured once more. </p><p>Kariya’s face fell a bit hearing his crush give her thanks to Valtr but in the end all that mattered was Sakura’s safety. </p><p>“Oh, but Madam Aoi, your thanks should be for Sir Kariya,” Valtr pointed at Kariya who froze from this sudden shift of praise. He looked at the Master of the League with confusion and he could’ve sworn that he saw the hunter wink at him through his helmet. </p><p>“Yes, Caster would’ve never done this if Kariya did not deliver the most inspirational speech,” Ludwig butted in. “His words moved our dear master by the sheer conviction in it of how he wished to make his queen happy.” </p><p>“Queen!” Inwardly shouted Kariya as he stared at the two hunters as if they got their heads cut off. For Aoi she could not stop the blush that came to her cheeks and she felt like her teenage self that fell in love all those years ago. </p><p>“Kariya always bought me my favorite snacks and told me bedtime stories every night,” Sakura softly spoke as she woke up from all the talking. </p><p>“A-Aoi I can explain,” Kariya tried to come up with a rational explanation with what the hell was happening. He nervously gulped as Aoi put Sakura down and moved closer to him. “I-I mean I really d-didn’t want Sakura to suffer...” His rambling was cut short when Aoi reached up and kissed him on the cheek. </p><p>“T-Thank you for saving Sakura,” Aoi thanked with a blush as she tucked a hair strand behind her ear. </p><p>Kariya felt like he had died and went to heaven. This was real right!? He looked behind Aoi to see Ludwig holding Sakura and Valtr looking at him before giving him a thumbs up. Sakura didn’t know what was happening either but joined with giving him a thumbs up as well. He couldn’t berate them as Aoi decided to catch up with him on recent events as the pair suddenly began to grow closer. </p><p>“You think it was wrong for Caster to manipulate Aoi’s feelings for Kariya,” Whispered Valtr. He felt a bit guilty in knowing that this was sort of staged. </p><p>“If there was nothing there then yes but those two obviously feel something for each other, all it took was just a simple push in the right direction,” Ludwig was happy seeing his fellow man find his true love. Many thought the Hunt was cruel to all but in reality... </p><p>One could find great happiness within it as well. </p><hr/><p>Meanwhile back at the Matou workshop, it stirred with life. What once was a room filled with insect familiars now was devoid of life. However, Ludwig’s Noble Phantasm had not taken out all the insects familiars so in turn, Zouken Matou still lived. </p><p>He slowly emerged out of his remaining familiars and looked around his workshop in hate. Decades of planning and biding his time only to be destroyed in one fell swoop. He swore to make Kariya pay for his treachery. His revenge may not take place soon but once he left Fuyuki and re-gathered his resources, then the boy would pay. </p><p>“Yes, such a great plan assuming that you leave this place alive,” A voice called out as a person materialized right in front of the Matou leader. With a bow Caster arrived, tipping his hat in greeting. </p><p>“Caster!” Sneered Zouken as he sent whatever remained of his insects to kill the servant responsible for his loss. </p><p><b> “A pity,”  </b>Boomed Caster as he decided this little charade of a fight was over. With a burst of cosmic energy any and all insects preparing to kill him died, the only insects left were the ones maintaining Zouken. </p><p><b> “Some fools don’t deserve redemption, lest certainly you,” </b> Zouken fell pathetically on his butt as he tried scrambling away from the approaching servant with fear. For the first time in decades the Matou was the closest to death and having lived for so long made him fear for his life. </p><p>“Please I’ll do anything, don’t kill me!” Pathetically bawled Zouken. </p><p><b> “Disgusting,” </b>  Muttered Caster as he caught up with the insect magus who had his back against the wall.  <b> “There is something you can do from me. Describe to me what you see.” </b> Was all he said before placing both his hands on Zouken’s head. His eyes flared with energy as Zouken found himself in an alternate reality. </p><p>He found himself floating in realm that seemed almost like space. The blue cosmos surrounded him as he could faintly see planets in the distance. </p><p><b> “You wished to obtain the Root did you not,” </b> A voice called out as Zouken turned and saw a massive eldritch creature standing over him. Towering over him was this titanic Cthulhu monster as its mouth tentacles grabbed the man and brought him closer to see the Lovecraftian deity. Its eyes of the cosmis peered into his soul. </p><p><b> “Then behold the Root in all of its glory,” </b> He boomed as his eyes flashed brightly, letting the magus absorb all the knowledge he held. </p><p>“Yes, Yes, YES!” Manically shouted Zouken as his mind begun absorbing all he information. Info that magus spent decades in finding to which he was receiving for free. All his desires laid bare before him and once he got it all nothing could stop him. </p><p>Beautiful! </p><p>BEAUTIFUL! </p><p><b> BEAUTIFUL! </b> </p><p>Zouken Matou’s body writhed before the insects holding his body collapsed in a pile. The insects tried to reform but the mind of Zouken had been shattered by the eldritch truth he had absorbed. It mattered not if his body was immortal if his mind could no longer support it. </p><p>Staring at the remains of Zouken, Caster reformed back into his human form. It was refreshing to turn into his Great One form but he was itching to use his true form. However, using his true form would lead to some repercussions that he did not want to deal with. </p><p>“Still though it's great that a happy ending could be found in this mess,” Kariya and Aoi would make a great pair but something else needed to be addressed before he could let them go. So, Caster warped back to the Ryuudou temple to prepare one last thing. </p><p>After all, The Matou Family needed an heir to take Zouken’s place. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Chapter 13 is done!  Yes,  I do plan for Kariya and Aoi to get together, I mean  ya   boi  Kariya needs a happy ending and with all that’s he done I think he needs a happy ending. That means  Tokiomi  is going to get it sooner or later ( I hate him). Ludwig’s Noble Phantasm is derived from the fact that Ludwig Van Beethoven made the Moonlight Sonata, which our Ludwig was derived from. Translate that to Beethoven’s nationality of  German  and boom! Noble Phantasm made.  </p><p>I also made Caster’s Great One form  Cthulhu  himself, I mean c'mon was there really a different choice I could make. He does have one more form but that’s reserved for his status of Grand Foreigner.  </p><p>Welp that’s all for now and as always...  </p><p>May The Cosmos Shine In Your Favor This Day!!  </p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Drink Deep of Our Blood</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“You got any fours?” A Powder Keg hunter asked on one of the many rooftops defending the Clocktower. </span>
  <span>Djura</span>
  <span> had instructed them to keep a close eye for any threats but seeing how nothing interesting had happened for a while they decided to keep themselves entertained. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Go Fish,” His partner replied.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Dammit,” He cursed before drawing the top card of the deck. He looked at his hand devoid of any winning plays while his partner had 5 already. “You know what screw this,” He threw the cards down in frustration, ending the game.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“If you’re so frustrated with me always winning why don’t you invite some of the Executioners to come play some poker.” His partner offered.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>Bruh</span>
  <span> those Gold </span>
  <span>Ardeos</span>
  <span> they wear makes it virtually impossible to tell if they’re bluffing or not,” He threw his arms </span>
  <span>exasperatedly</span>
  <span> in the air. “Remember when </span>
  <span>Djura</span>
  <span> lost all his betting money when he thought Alfred had a winning hand when in </span>
  <span>reality,</span>
  <span> he didn’t have anything.” What a night that was, when everyone was drunk and their poker night had dissolved into a big brawl.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Fine I’ll go check on the Gatling Gun to relieve my boredom,” With a grunt he pushed himself up and walked over to the emplacement. His partner just stayed behind and continued drinking their blood cocktails.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Man, this is a drag,” Running his hand through the gun, everything was still operational. The belt of </span>
  <span>ammunition</span>
  <span> that fed into the machine was full, the multiple barrels weren’t clogged, and the gears were all greased up. All prepared for the next time that an attack happened.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey buddy when do you think the next attack will be?” He called out.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“...”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Buddy?” He tried calling again.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“...”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay very funny now drop the-Ack!” Three swords quickly embedded themselves in his gut. He tried in vain to yell the alarm but couldn’t muster the strength to do it. When the three swords were pulled out of his body, he fell onto the floor and dissolved into mist.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Kirei</span>
  <span> wiped his Black Keys clean of any blood before looking at the Gatling Gun emplacement. Walking up to it he begun sabotaging the weapon so that it was no longer operational.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Assassin what is your progress?” He asked through his mental link with the servant.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“We are doing well here, the half of us can still run interference against the Crows while the rest are </span>
  <span>sabotaging</span>
  <span> the </span>
  <span>various emplacements</span>
  <span>.” Before the </span>
  <span>assault on the Clocktower </span>
  <span>could even </span>
  <span>begin,</span>
  <span> they needed to hamper</span>
  
  <span>the </span>
  <span>defenses as much as </span>
  <span>possible</span>
  <span> so </span>
  <span>Kirei</span>
  <span> and Assassin were tasked with infiltration and </span>
  <span>sabotage</span>
  <span>. </span>
  
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Good, continue on without drawing their attention to what we are doing.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes milord,” With that Assassin cut the link to continue their distraction.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Refocusing on the task at hand, </span>
  <span>Kirei</span>
  <span> could not stop a sigh of disappointment leaving his mouth. Ever since the self-realization of his demented love of abhorrent acts, he found himself wanting more. To see the nightmare that descended on </span>
  <span>Yharnam</span>
  <span> to also descend onto Fuyuki City. He wanted to revel in the lowest of what humanity had to offer and bathe in their sins.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You should look behind you buddy,” A voice broke him out of his thoughts as he swiftly threw a Black Key behind him and impaled his ambusher. The key had </span>
  <span>pierced</span>
  <span> the ambusher’s skull as he slumped over and dispersed into mist. Not letting up, he threw another black key at the voice that had warned him of his ambusher.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“W-Woah! Easy their pal, is that how you treat a friend?” From the shadows, Patches crawled out to greet Kirei.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Who...no what are you?” Questioned </span>
  <span>Kirei</span>
  <span> as pointed his Black Keys at the spider.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>Oh,</span>
  <span> just a friend, nothing too extraordinary here.” He </span>
  <span>creepily</span>
  <span> laughed before crawling closer to the priest. “But you my friend look lost, like a sheep.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Kirei</span>
  <span> did nothing when Patches came closer as the priest did not flinch when a leg came closer to his cheek. “What an interesting person you are. You know what here, a gift for my newest friend,” The spider moved back before dropping a strange deformed rock. Picking up the rock the priest looked </span>
  <span>inquisitively</span>
  <span> at the spider who was slinking back into the shadows.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry about the gift my friend, a little token of my appreciation for piquing my interest,” Patches said his farewells before disappearing. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>With little thought </span>
  <span>Kirei</span>
  <span> pocketed the strange rock before moving onward to the rooftops closer to the emplacements near the Amygdala. Yet now whenever he saw he had this deep desire to now interact with </span>
  <span>eldritch</span>
  <span> being, he no longer saw it as a threat.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>In the shadows, Patches laughed to himself wickedly.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Everything was going accordingly to plan.</span>
  
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>“Master, the Crows are starting to anticipate our moves. I believe it is time to leave.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Very well, tell your personas to regroup back at the Church. I will join you soon.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes milord.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Kirei</span>
  <span> looked up from his latest kills at the looming </span>
  <span>eldtitch</span>
  <span> horror just a </span>
  <span>blcok</span>
  <span> away. It seems that Amygdala had yet to see him as it did not respond to his presence yet. Whether it really could not see him or just </span>
  <span>preoccupied</span>
  <span> with something else entirely, but he was not going to wait around for that to happen.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>That is until he felt himself get kicked off the rooftop by a very familiar face.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Serves you right you rotten priest, you’re worse than maggots!” Patches mocked when he kicked Kirei off the roof.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>For </span>
  <span>Kirei</span>
  <span>, the kick had only surprised him so he was about to throw some Black Keys at the spider until a massive hand grabbed him. Imagine to his shock that Amygdala was </span>
  <span>secretly</span>
  <span> waiting for this moment.  He could do nothing as he was forced upward to look at the Great One, its many eyes looking at him.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>Forgive me,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Was all the massive eldritch being said.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span> With a crush of its hand, Kirei lost </span>
  <span>consciousness</span>
  <span> as his body was whisked away to another dimension,</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Heh </span>
  <span>heh</span>
  
  <span>heh</span>
  
  <span>heh</span>
  <span>...Oh Amygdala, oh Amygdala...Have mercy on the poor bastard...Hah </span>
  <span>hah</span>
  
  <span>hah</span>
  <span>!” </span>
  <span>Laughed</span>
  <span> Patches. He had glimpsed the horrors that resided inside the priest. All he did was put him in a place that let those feelings thrive in.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Oh,</span>
  <span> what horrid beast would stumble out of that nightmare?</span>
  
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>Meanwhile back at the </span>
  <span>Ryuudou</span>
  <span> Temple.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Caster was leading Kariya and Sakura somewhere. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>When they had got back, a Choir member had told them that Caster had something for the two. Wishing to pay back the kindness that the servant had showed them, they agreed to meet Caster while Aoi would be reunited with Rin.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“How are you Sakura?” Caster looked back at the child that Kariya was holding. She shyly nodded before hiding her face in Kariya’s chest. She was still wary from seeing the Caster servant and hoped that he didn’t have anything plan for them.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Heh you have nothing to worry child, we are just visiting someone.” They reached a vast staircase leading downward beyond what the eye could see. Chanting a quick incantation, the stairway illuminated with fire from the side torches before they walked downward.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>They were walking quite a while before Kariya decided to break the ice. “</span>
  <span>So,</span>
  <span> uh Caster...What are we doing now?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Tell me Kariya, do you know what has happened now that </span>
  <span>Zouken</span>
  <span> is dead?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Other than the world being freed from monster no,” Kariya was confused by what Caster was trying to get at. Was there something else he needed to know?</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“True there is nothing to worry about at first glance.  The familiars inhabiting both you and Sakura have died now that </span>
  <span>Zouken</span>
  <span> is dead. You can no longer use </span>
  <span>magecraft</span>
  <span> without them but you seem to prefer that.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah that’s true so what’s the problem?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Politics,” Caster replied before continuing. “What we have done is simply put Sakura back up for adoption by another magus family. The </span>
  <span>Tohsaka’s</span>
  <span> still have Rin as their heir so Sakura cannot return to her family.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Bullshit can’t they just let her live with them </span>
  <span>peacefully</span>
  <span>!? Kariya was outraged with Sakura’s fate.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>Unfortunately,</span>
  <span> not, even if </span>
  <span>Tokiomi</span>
  <span> was too die the family has many connections with other magus </span>
  <span>families</span>
  <span> and many of them would be more than happy to adopt a powerful </span>
  <span>Tohsaka</span>
  <span> child to empower their bloodline.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“B-But,” Kariya was defeated, all of that trouble for nothing. All of his </span>
  <span>sacrifices</span>
  <span> for naught.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Fret not Kariya for I have a solution for you but...” They finally arrived at a huge grand door. Opening the </span>
  <span>door,</span>
  <span> they were greeted by a massive cavern, specifically the cavern that once housed the Greater Grail. “This may kill you,” Was all he said as they walked in.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Standing on the magical circle was a group of white garbed clergy members of the Healing Church and a Great One. The massive pale Great One turned around to greet Caster as the clergy did the same. This Great One was almost similar to Caster’s Great One form with all the tentacles coming off of her. </span>
  <span>However,</span>
  <span> the greatest difference was the round head that consisted of two pale flaps with green eyes on it that covered a red flesh orb filled with many eyes, almost </span>
  <span>representing</span>
  <span> the stars in a nebula.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>This was Ebrietas, Daughter of the Cosmos.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Vicar Amelia, how goes with the dismantling of the Greater Grail?” Caster asked the head leader of the Church. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“It goes well milord, </span>
  <span>our</span>
  <span> work with Lady </span>
  <span>Ebrietas</span>
  <span> has resulted in the dismantlement of eighty percent of the system. Just a few more hours and the Heaven’s Feel ritual will be no more.” Out of all the Vicars, Amelia was the kindest to work with. She </span>
  <span>sincerely</span>
  <span> cared for the people and the wellbeing of </span>
  <span>Ebrietas</span>
  <span> when other Vicars only cared for their own power and wealth.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I see good work Vicar but I need to speak to Ebrietas alone.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“At once milord,” With a bow they left the cavern, leaving the two humans </span>
  <span>alone</span>
  <span> with the two Great Ones. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“How have you been </span>
  <span>Ebrietas</span>
  <span>?” Caster asked his fellow Great One. </span>
  <span>Ebrietas</span>
  <span> was once a blood mule for the Church, having been abandoned by her brother and sisters. It was in her imprisonment that Caster had developed a sympathy for the Great Ones. When he had first ascended as a Great One it was she who had helped get used to his newfound powers.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>Yes,</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span> I am well dear friend and I agree with what you are planning.”</span>
  </em>
  
  <span>Ebrietas</span>
  <span> silky voice rang throughout the cavern. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you for your assistance with this my friend,” Chuckled Caster at how good </span>
  <span>Ebrietas</span>
  <span> was in guessing his motives.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you guys talking about?” Kariya hoped whatever they had planned would solve Sakura’s problem.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You see Kariya there is a way for Sakura to be safe, and that is for you to become the head of the </span>
  <span>Matou</span>
  <span> Family like your father was.” Revealed Caster.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“B-But wait I don’t have any magical circuits!” He argued as he brought up a serious problem with that idea.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“True but we do have a way for you to gain the power required to be Head of the family,” The servant gestured to </span>
  <span>Ebrietas</span>
  <span> who bowed her head, a trail of blood pouring out of her head. “A blood transfusion.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Just like the Healing Church took part in communion with the blood in order to ascend to godhood, Kariya now stood in their footsteps. “I must warn you though, even if </span>
  <span>Ebrietas</span>
  <span> is willing to help you does not mean that the blood will be pleasant for you. You must need nerves of steel to survive this.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Kariya had heard from </span>
  <span>Valtr</span>
  <span> and Ludwig of what the Old Blood did to </span>
  <span>Yharnman</span>
  <span>, </span>
  <span>how</span>
  <span> greed had turned a once miraculous blood to the instigator of a beastly plague. If men much </span>
  <span>mightier</span>
  <span> than him had tried, what hope did he have?</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Hearing Sakura coo in her sleep shifted his attention to her sleeping form. Seeing her sleep so peacefully made him realize that this was all for her. </span>
  <span>Sure,</span>
  <span> Aoi seemed to be </span>
  <span>reciprocating</span>
  <span> his feelings which was nice but </span>
  <span>Tokiomi</span>
  <span> was still alive so he knew that she wouldn’t cheat on him. </span>
  <span>So,</span>
  <span> in reality all he had was Sakura. Kissing her head softly he handed her over to Caster, he was agreeing to go through.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Taking the child in his arms, careful not to wake her, he motioned to </span>
  <span>Ebrietas</span>
  <span>. “Then drink deep of our blood, let our power </span>
  <span>course</span>
  <span> through your veins.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Resolutely walking forward, the crippled master walked up to the bowed Great One. Stopping right in front of the river of blood flowing from </span>
  <span>Ebrietas</span>
  <span>’ head, Kariya cupped his hands to pool the ancient blood. Mentally counting to three Kariya jumped down the </span>
  <span>rabbit's</span>
  <span> hole and drank the blood.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh that wasn’t so </span>
  <span>bad,” T</span>
  <span>hought Kariya. </span>
  <span>Sure,</span>
  <span> the blood tasted like copper but he expected much worse, like he would be on the floor unable to withstand pain he would have never experienced before.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>A second passed and that’s what exactly happened as Kariya begun throwing up blood. He had mentally prepared himself for whatever happened but the pain he was feeling was indescribable. It was like someone had ripped off his arm, thrown a bunch of salt and alcohol on it before searing it with hot iron, multiplied by ten. His face felt like it was on fire while his insides felt like a tornado was going through them.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He could feel himself blacking out from the pain and in his final moments of waking </span>
  <span>consciousness</span>
  <span>, Caster appeared over him.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Well it looks like you will be fine after all, sleep well Kariya; you still have to pay off the fee for my help.” Was all he heard before sleep consumed him.</span>
  
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>“Master please wake up,” A muffled voice called out as Kariya woke up back in the alleyway that he had fought </span>
  <span>Brador</span>
  <span> in. Stretching his arms and feeling some bones crack, he slowly pushed himself up. As he pushed himself up, something felt different about him. Like how a massive weight had been lifted off his back. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What happened?” He asked as he looked around and </span>
  <span>familiarized</span>
  <span> his surroundings.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Caster brought you here after your little meeting,” A voice answered him.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks for the info...” Kariya trailed off as he realized that the only person that would be with him. Whipping his head around, Kariya he stared in shock at his servant who spoke to him normally. Black smoke still billowed out of the knight’s armor but the mere fact that he was talking and not howling was a miracle.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“H-How are you talking?” Questioned Kariya.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s simple my master, you finally have enough mana so you don’t have to rely on my Madness Enhancement skill.” His father had made him summon Berserker so that he could rely on the Madness Enhancement to boost their strength without relying too much on his weak prana reserves. Lancelot had fallen in a pit of despair when he realized that his actions had led to his King’s downfall, which translated to the addition of the Madness </span>
  <span>Enhancement</span>
  <span> Skill. With it no longer active the servant had reverted back to his pre-knight days. But if that means he no longer had to rely on Madness </span>
  <span>Enhancement</span>
  <span> then...</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He found a window to marvel at his new transformation. He </span>
  <span>reached</span>
  <span> up to </span>
  <span>cut</span>
  <span> the side of his face that had once been ravaged by his father’s crest warms. No longer did his face have any more </span>
  <span>protruding</span>
  <span> veins and no longer was his left eye damaged. His hair still retained its white coloring but other than that he felt great. So great that he could....</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Fire!” He yelled as he outstretched his hand to conjure a flame. All magi were trained to be able to at least conjure a basic fire so if he had gained new magical circuits then...</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>A bright </span>
  <span>incandescent</span>
  <span> fire appeared on his hand as the little fire illuminated the whole alleyway with its glow. “Yes!” A triumphed Kariya yelled as he could now assume the position of Head of the </span>
  <span>Matou</span>
  <span> Family and protect Sakura now.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>Yes,</span>
  <span> what a joyous occasion,” A lazy voice said above him which had him look upward to see Caster nonchalantly sitting on the railing of a rooftop.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“How do you like your new upgrade?” He asked</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I feel like a new man, thank you,” A gracious Kariya replied.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Good, good; though we have to talk about payment now.” </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“P-</span>
  <span>payment</span>
  <span>?” What did Caster want him to do now? </span>
  <span>Deliver</span>
  <span> him some rare artifact, slay some fearsome dragon, or maybe be his slave for the rest of eternity?</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The servant </span>
  <span>dismissively</span>
  <span> waved his concern off. “Oh no, nothing of that sorts. There is nothing that you could provide me in terms of material wealth.” He begun dissolving into mist before pointing at the sky. Kariya followed his gaze and in the night sky he could faintly see a gold object </span>
  <span>cruise</span>
  <span> through the air. Alongside it was Rider’s chariot as the two streaked across the sky toward the Clocktower.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You could repay me by joining in the Hunt, join the other masters and servants attacking the Clocktower. Ascend the Hunt and maybe we will see each other at the end of all this.” Was all the Great One said before leaving the two to stare at the masters and servants approaching the clocktower.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The opening act had come to a close.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>And now...</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The main show had begun.</span>
  
</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Chapter 14 is now done! This chapter is short (I’m pretty sure it is) so I could make sure to tie up any loose ends before the fated attack. Kirei will be having some fun in the Nightmare Frontier, I won’t show what happens there but you will see the results of it in future chapters. Boy you have no idea the number of plans I have for the next 5-6 chapters. I can guarantee you that one character will show up that none of you guys will see coming. Prepare yourselves. </p><p>Also, I’m so happy to see how far this story has come and all the support it has received!  </p><p>Welp that’s all for now and as always... </p><p>May the Cosmos Shine in Your Favor This Day!!  </p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. A Clash of Steel</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The Fuyuki Clocktower had one massive street leading to it. There were other roads that were </span>
  <span>also</span>
  <span> connected to the clocktower but it had one massive road that made it famous. A four by four road led from the docks to the famous clocktower which made it a very hot tourist spot.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>And here it would lay witness to a very glorious fight. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Rider and Waver rode atop of Bucephalus as they traveled towards the Clocktower, towards Caster’s army.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey Rider look,” Waver pointed out. There in front of them was a wall of cars that Caster’s army had used to fortify their </span>
  <span>positions</span>
  <span>. Every other street connecting to the Clocktower had similar fortifications but the main street was by far the most defended. A death sentence to anyone trying to storm the Clocktower.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you scared boy?” Rider asked as a patrolling Executioner finally noticed the servant and master as they sounded the alarm. The once placid defenses now on high alert as </span>
  <span>they scrambled</span>
  <span> to ready their forces.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah I am.” Even just having a glimpse at the defenses he knew that they had a lot here. That this may be a battle that they would not walk out of alive. “Or to put it in another way, in your terms, my heart is dancing,” He smiled.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Iskandar paused before grunting in approval. Now his master was someone that could now stand on his own. “Now you’re getting it.” He praised before looking back at the defenses. Every second more were joining the defense. His face steeled to prepare for the onslaught.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Your making this sound like a funeral Rider,” Waver joked. It helped </span>
  <span>alleviate</span>
  <span> the nervousness that was crushing him right now.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I suppose I am.</span>
  <span>.. would</span>
  <span> you do the honors my master?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I suppose we’ve gotten their attention by now,” The master brought up his hand. His three command seals were now flanked by an additional six. They needed to keep the Noble Phantasm up as long as possible so that the others could sneak into the Clocktower undetected.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Taking a deep breath, Waver begun. “By the order of this command seal I order you Rider, utilize your Noble Phantasm. Let the Army of The King march this planet once more!” He yelled as the six additional command seals glowed brightly before their energy transferred over to Rider.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Then let’s begin!” He roared as he raised his sword high into the air. </span>
  <b>
    <span>“Come my brothers in arms! As long as our chest beat with the ambition for the far horizon, the campaign shall never end. Raise your cries of war! </span>
  </b>
  <b>
    <span>Ionioi</span>
  </b>
  <b>
    <span> Hetairoi!</span>
  </b>
  <span>” A bright flash enveloped the pair as expanded outward and covered the whole city.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The light died down as Rider and his master now stood in front of a massive army. The inspiration of Iskandar was so great that each soldier within his army would break time and space just to share his dream once more. Even now the main big street could not hold everyone as they spilled into other streets, side by side ready to storm the </span>
  <span>Clocktower</span>
  <span>.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Martyr </span>
  <span>Logarius</span>
  <span> was at the forefront of the defense as the army materialized right before his eyes. One could tell that he was the leader of the Executioners. While he wore the typical garb, his height made it so that he dwarfed anyone else. Also, he wore a much more intricate Gold </span>
  <span>Ardeo</span>
  <span> with intricate engravings that were etched into the </span>
  <span>Ardeo</span>
  <span>. A gold crown was also melded to the top of the </span>
  <span>Ardeo</span>
  <span>, a sign of his martyrdom at </span>
  <span>Cainhurst</span>
  <span> castle. Seeing that they were the ones now outnumbered he turned to his forces. “On the double, tell that Blood Crow dastard to get his arse here now!” </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Shouldn’t we charge now?” Asked Waver as the enemy numbers begun to multiply. Executioners made a </span>
  <span>defensive</span>
  <span> formation using their wheels as shields while some Powder Kegs were positioned behind them with their firearms peeking through the cracks between the shields, a phalanx formation.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>No,</span>
  <span> we must ensure that all of their focus is on us, otherwise the other team will run into problems. Just a bit more.” Rider assured.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Damm now that’s an army,” Mused the Bloody Crow as he stood with </span>
  <span>Logarius</span>
  <span> on the front lines. Even with his knights and the additional reinforcements it had not equalized the ratio of their forces with Iskandar’s Noble Phantasm. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“We have quality over quantity,” </span>
  <span>Logarius</span>
  <span> simply said as the rest of their forces were settling themselves in formation.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Like your siege of </span>
  <span>Cainhurst</span>
  <span> Castle?” Back when the Executioners had </span>
  <span>assaulted</span>
  <span> their castle, their numbers outnumbered theirs's three to one.  Even when the Executioners outnumbered </span>
  <span>them,</span>
  <span> they were able to ensure mutual destruction. Only a few survivors from both sides lived to tell the tale.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Heh...it’s strange that mortal enemies sworn to kill the other are now fighting side by side against a common enemy.” Logarius commented.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s life for you, enemies one time; friends the next,” Added </span>
  <span>Brador</span>
  <span> as he joined the two on the front lines. He whistled seeing the true numbers. “Still we don’t have a chance in hell in holding this position from them.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“We always have that Noble Phantasm to use,” Offered Gascoigne as he joined the trio.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah bugger not that bell, why can’t none of you use it. Why does it have to be me?” </span>
  <span>Brador</span>
  <span> whined.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You are the only one with a valid connection to the Hunter’s Nightmare and the rest of us have our factions.” Noted Gascoigne. He was to the Church, </span>
  <span>Logarius</span>
  <span> to the Executioners, and the Bloody Crow had his knights.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“...fine just give me the </span>
  <span>damm</span>
  <span> bell already, can’t even get to fight in this awesome battle,” The beast-hide assassin mumbled under his breath as the Bloody Crow handed him a bell. The bell itself wasn’t remarkable, the once red bell had been ravaged by countless hunts. However, the memories of the early bloody hunts </span>
  <span>were</span>
  <span> so strong that if once used by a hunter of old, the memories would resurface into the waking world.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He began ringing the bell, its haunting tune echoing across the streets of Fuyuki.</span>
  <b>
    <span> “Phantoms of our forefather’s sin. Dammed to an eternal hell, come forth into the waking world and serve your god!”</span>
  </b>
  
  
</p><p>
  <span>In front of the hunters’ defenses, a dark shadow covered the road. Multiple hands, some holding weapons or firearms, emerged as the hunters of old were summoned. They were far </span>
  <span>different</span>
  <span> than Caster’s summons. For one they lacked a will to think for themselves, no soul, they were just puppets of their </span>
  <span>former selves</span>
  <span>. Their </span>
  <span>shadowy</span>
  <span> bodies leaked of darkness as they groaned, red eyes hungrily gazing for their next prey.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The shadowy pits had </span>
  <span>extended upwards</span>
  <span> to the rooftops as beasts began to emerge from its depths. Hunters with beastly features and those that turned to beasts all together. They gazed down on the army, </span>
  <span>salivating</span>
  <span> at the army.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“With one move they’ve lessened the gap between our forces,” Waver lightly bit his lip at what had just occurred. They had planned for Rider’s Noble Phantasm to </span>
  <span>severely</span>
  <span> outnumber the forces of Caster but now the ratio had gone from a thousand to one to 200 to one, still outnumbering them but they made up for it in skill.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Not to mention they have Amygdala for support,” They looked up to see the massive Great One repositioning itself to look at the army. With a screech the Great One was about to fire a laser into the army, cause chaos within their ranks.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Only to stop so it could bring its arms to defend against a barrage of weapons from stabbing into them. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Who dares!”</span>
  </em>
  <span> It called out to the unknown attacker that had striked it from the skies.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>From the clouds Gilgamesh laughed as he sat on the throne of Vimana, Throne of The Heaven-soaring King. The gold and emerald ark nosedived as the servant released another barrage from his Gates at the multi-armed Great One. “Do I need permission to do as I please?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s a suicide mission, </span>
  <span>Djura’s</span>
  <span> emplacements are going to shred him,” Commented Gascoigne expecting to see the sky be filled with explosions and gunfire. Yet as Archer made an attack run on the Clocktower only a few emplacements begun opening fire as the Vimana easily soared through the bombardment and begun making another pass. Now having its attention </span>
  <span>stolen</span>
  <span>, the Great One </span>
  <span>climbed</span>
  <span> higher up the tower so that he could try to shoot down the Vimana.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“They </span>
  <span>sabotaged</span>
  
  <span>Djura’s</span>
  <span> emplacements,” A loud explosion rang out on one of the rooftops as sounds of fighting could be heard as the Powder Kegs begun fighting with Berserker, who flanked the distracted hunters. A pair of Powder Kegs flew off the rooftops, courtesy of a blackened pole that Lancelot had transformed, before disappearing into mist.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“ATTACK!” Yelled Iskandar as he pointed sword forward as he begun to move forward at the Clocktower. The army behind him yelling in approval before joining the charge.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Looking around </span>
  <span>Logarius</span>
  <span> gave the only command he could in this situation. “Attack!” With a wave of his scythe he gave his command to meet the charging army.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>With an ear-piercing roar the wraiths of the Old Hunters wildly charged into the vanguard of the </span>
  <span>Ionioi</span>
  
  <span>Hetaroi</span>
  <span>, the army of hunters marching right behind them so that the wraiths weakened the assault. With a mighty crash the two sides collided into each other. Steel clashing with each other as both sides dissolved into a mighty mess. Steel clashed with each other as the opposing sides fought to the bitter end. Bodies were sent flying as hunters launched their opponents up into the air with astounding strength while soldiers skewered or hacked hunters that met their unfortunate ends</span>
  <span>.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The beasts jumped down from their perches onto the clashing armies, not caring who got in their path as they made their bloodlust known.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Gascoigne joined the fray as he sent enemies flying with his axe while the Bloody Crow was carving his enemies up with the Chikage. Logarius was in a dance with Rider as they kited around each other, the other trying to get a lucky hit on each other.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Meanwhile </span>
  <span>Brador</span>
  <span> was hanging back from all the action. It wasn’t as if he wanted to join the bloody fight, oh how he wished he could, but if died then the wraiths summoned by the Old Hunter’s Bell would fade back into nothingness. </span>
  <span>However,</span>
  <span> it seems that luck was on his side as at the last </span>
  <span>second,</span>
  <span> he jumped over a thrown pillar that would’ve turned him into paste. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s good to see </span>
  <span>you</span>
  <span> old friend, here to finish our rematch?” He yelled as the mad servant jumped down from the rooftops with a </span>
  <span>vengeance</span>
  <span> to repay the assassin for what he had done to him. Now back stronger than ever before, the knight settled into a refined dueling stance; a far cry from the erratic style he had done before. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Oi Caster what the hell man! You gave this dude a </span>
  <span>goddamm</span>
  <span> buff,” Complained </span>
  <span>Brador</span>
  <span> as he pulled out his Bloodletter. “Well I’m not complaining, finally a </span>
  <span>challenge</span>
  <span>,” He shoved the mace into his chest so that it could assume </span>
  <span>it's</span>
  <span> terrifying form. With a yell of bloodlust, the two had their rematch.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>High above in the Fuyuki night sky, Gilgamesh seamlessly dodged a cosmic laser by Amygdala. The open skies had given him endless room to dodge the lasers that the Great One was firing at him. “How does it feel mongrel to know that you cannot touch my glory,” He taunted as he dodged another laser. </span>
  <span>However,</span>
  <span> his amusement stopped when he narrowly dodged a sickle from lopping his head off, a simple move of his head had embedded the sickle right next to his head.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“So, you’ve come,” A distance away, it seems that his opponent had arrived. On wings of decaying feathers, the fake Enkidu had come back.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Are you so eager to experience the horror you felt from our last encounter, King </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>of</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span> Heroes?”</span>
  </em>
  <span> The Wet Nurse said amusedly before a bastard version of his Gates appeared behind to her, an array of purple portals. From the portal a barrage of sickles shot forward at the gold ark.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Gilgamesh clenched his hands in frustration, HIs reaction to their first encounter was not the best but after spending a long time in contemplation, he knew how to react to this Enkidu now. He </span>
  <span>remembered</span>
  <span> the polite and calm clay being, how they would sit peacefully by the Euphrates as the sun set over the horizon. This Enkidu was just a puppet, only using his body to taunt him and mock the memory of his beloved friend.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Hmph you dare use my friend’s body to try and mock me? You shall pay for you insolence with your death!” He roared as an array of Gates shot out swords to intercept the sickles, a loud explosion rippling through the air as their weapons collided.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Very good King of Heroes, but conviction alone is not good enough. Show me the power behind them!”</span>
  </em>
  <span> The Fake Enkidu sped up to match the speed of the Vimana.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Then come faker, know how it feels to die by hand of a true king.” It had been while since Gilgamesh had felt a rush like this. Drumming his fingers on the ark’s throne, he configured Vimana’s wings into a speed form. With a new burst of speed, to which the </span>
  <span>Fake</span>
  <span> Enkidu mimicked, the two begun their battle in the skies.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>As the streets and skies of the Fuyuki City were bathed in chaos, the remaining servants and masters begun to sneak to the Clocktower, to enter the depths of the sewer and make it to the Fuyuki Sea. Unaware of the atrocities that slept within.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Curse the fiends, their children too, and their children, forever true.”</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <span>Chapter 15 is complete! It’s starting to pick up with Rider, Berserker, and Archer, creating chaos while Saber, Lancer, Assassin, and the other masters descend into the sewers. More characters will be introduced and Noble Phantasms will be revealed. I think you will like the next chapters.</span>
  </b>
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <span>On another note, I want to talk about something else.</span>
  </b>
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <span>So,</span>
  </b>
  <b>
    <span> I did say that I would post my Dark Souls and Fate Fanfiction after this fanfiction but as days roll by </span>
  </b>
  <b>
    <span>it</span>
  </b>
  <b>
    <span> getting harder to focus on this one fic. Not that I’m getting sick of it but just focusing on one fanfiction really wears you down. </span>
  </b>
  <b>
    <span>So,</span>
  </b>
  <b>
    <span> in </span>
  </b>
  <b>
    <span>short,</span>
  </b>
  <b>
    <span> I’ll be posting my Dark Souls fanfiction 10-20 minutes after this is posted. Helps me not get tired by focusing on one story.</span>
  </b>
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <span>Welp </span>
  </b>
  <b>
    <span>that's</span>
  </b>
  <b>
    <span> all for now and as always...</span>
  </b>
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <span>May the Cosmos Shine </span>
  </b>
  <b>
    <span>in</span>
  </b>
  <b>
    <span> Your Favor This Day. </span>
  </b>
  
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Thunderous Hate</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Inside the Fuyuki Clocktower, all the hunters had left their positions to go and help defend against Rider’s </span>
  <span>assault</span>
  <span>. The tower shook as the two armies clashed.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Which left the clocktower defenseless for the other team of masters and servants to make their way to the sewers.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Assassin how much longer till we make it to the </span>
  <span>maintenance</span>
  <span> hatch of the sewers?” Maiya asked as the group cautiously walked through a dark hallway, the moon leaking through the windows being there only light. Even with the tower being virtually empty, they still did not know if anything else lurked in the shadows; Caster’s </span>
  <span>preferred</span>
  <span> attack method</span>
  <span>. Saber brouught up the front, Lancer the back, a sizeable number of Assassins had the sides while the rest were off scouting the way, and the masters in the middle.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Not long Master, just a few more doors to pass,” One of the Assassin replied. Not too long ago they were about launch the </span>
  <span>assault</span>
  <span> on the Clocktower when Assassin suddenly fell over in pain as they begun dematerializing. Whatever happened to </span>
  <span>Kirei</span>
  <span> had left Hassan without a master. Everyone else knew that they couldn’t just stop the </span>
  <span>assault </span>
  <span>now so they had made the only magus that didn’t have a servant of their own to be Assassin’s servant, Maiya Hisau.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Does anyone else think that this is too easy?” </span>
  <span>Tokiomi</span>
  <span> asked as they passed another door, fully expecting some beastly horror to jump them.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Whether this is too easy or not we can’t just turn back now. We do that, we sign our deaths,” Kiritsugu said as he checked the shadows for anything with his Thompson Contender. Even he knew something was wrong with how easy their path was. Years of doing operations just like these had meant one thing, something nasty wanted them to come.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The group eventually made their way to the room that held the </span>
  <span>maintenance</span>
  <span> hatch to the sewers. The tower was built before Fuyuki’s sewer system was built so it served as the foundation for where the sewer system would be built.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It was evident that they made it to their destination with all the Assassins </span>
  <span>patiently</span>
  <span> waiting for them, checking the hallways for any enemies. “Master we have had no resistance so far in making it to this room,” They motioned to the door with their head. “This room however, reeks of blood.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Understanding what that meant, the group readied themselves for a fight. Nodding to each other Kiritsugu motioned for Saber to take lead. Moving close to the door, she looked back at the group behind her before slamming her shoulder into the door, opening it wide open.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>What waited them was a scene right out of horror film. What once was a rustic room was now a room with its walls painted in blood. Corpses of countless bodies </span>
  <span>littered</span>
  <span> the room as each </span>
  <span>corpse</span>
  <span> had various parts of their body ripped off of them and guts spilling out.  And each body had a bloody streak that was evidence that they had been dragged here from only one place.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The </span>
  <span>maintenance</span>
  <span> hatch that led to the sewers.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Irisiviel</span>
  <span> placed her hands over her mouth as the group stared at the horrifying mess they were witnessing. </span>
  <span>Tokiomi</span>
  <span> looked around as the realization dawned on him why they the </span>
  <span>corpses</span>
  <span> had looked familiar.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“These are the missing magi from the city,” He said out loud as it became clear. Caster had murdered the magus that refused to cooperate and those that had were brought here to take part in whatever twisted games he had them participate in.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The sound of someone coughing redirected their attention to a lone surviving magus. It was clear that he had seen better days with how he was missing an arm that was spewing blood which was a miracle that he was even still alive.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re good now, just rest easy,” </span>
  <span>Irisviel</span>
  <span> reassuringly said as she begun healing the man with her hands glowing green. The man however grabbed her arm to stop the healing. “N-No its no use, no healing’s </span>
  <span>going to</span>
  <span> save me now,” The man chuckled before coughing up some more blood.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>After he coughed a sizeable amount of blood, he smiled for the last time. “The reality marble that Caster </span>
  <span>enacted</span>
  <span> trapped anyone containing any magical circuits, regardless if they are a magus or not. There were two that were brought here with the rest of us, a </span>
  <span>beggar</span>
  <span> and a little boy. I-I can’t speak for the </span>
  <span>beggar</span>
  <span> if he’s still alive but the boy is </span>
  <span>only</span>
  <span> alive because his magical circuits are so weak. The beast down there probably can’t sense his prana but when that thing gets hungry it’ll definitely find him.” He coughed harshly once more before looking at the group as his eyes begun to dim. “Please save the boy, please end this nightmare.” With one last breath the magus died.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>With one glance to everyone, </span>
  <span>Kiritsugu</span>
  <span> kicked the hatch open; the smell of waste and blood wafting from the open hatch. “</span>
  <span>Let's</span>
  <span> go.” Was all he said before jumping in.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>They had assumed the same formation they had as they walked through the murky corridors of the sewer. The sewers rumbled occasionally as the battle being fought upwards escalated.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Even as they walked through the sewers, something felt different here. It was like they had entered a boundary field but it seemed like nothing had changed, only this nagging feeling that they were being watched.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Someone’s up ahead,” Saber warned as they rounded a corner.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Turning the </span>
  <span>corner,</span>
  <span> they saw the beggar that the dying magus had told them about. He was lazily laying on the floor looking up at the ceiling. He was essentially naked with just wearing a white blindfold and raggedy pants. The only strange thing about him was the amount of blood on him.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>Oh,</span>
  <span> finally other people,” He stood up from his position as he greeted the group. “I thought that I was the only one here, thank god for you guys.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Kiritsugu</span>
  <span> looked at the man, not understanding why he had the urge to shot him in the face. His instincts were screaming for him to kill the beggar in front of him. “No,” He reasoned. Just because he looked suspicious didn’t mean he would jump to conclusions.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“We feared the worst when someone had said that they didn’t know your fate down here,” Tokiomi said.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The beggar scratched his neck in </span>
  <span>embarrassment</span>
  <span>. “Ah you’re embarrassing me, all this worry over a beggar like me.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“U-Um you wouldn’t happen to know where a little boy might be?” </span>
  <span>Irisviel</span>
  <span> asked.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You mean that little red head kid yeah I know where he is, just follow me,” He waved his hand to follow him as he </span>
  <span>began</span>
  <span> walking forward.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>As the group followed the </span>
  <span>beggar</span>
  <span>, </span>
  <span>Kayneth</span>
  
  <span>tapped</span>
  
  <span>Kiritsugu’s</span>
  <span> shoulder as he leaned in to whisper. “I am not </span>
  <span>the</span>
  
  <span>only</span>
  <span> one wary of our new </span>
  <span>friend here.</span>
  <span>”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah you’re not the only one,” He replied.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Good this man is not what he seems.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Then we watch him carefully,” </span>
  <span>Kayneth</span>
  <span> nodded as he relayed his concerns to Lancer, who was ready to strike at moment’s notice.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Kiritsugu</span>
  <span> looked at the beggar as he started a conversation with </span>
  <span>Irisviel</span>
  <span>. Why did he not trust him?</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t you remember </span>
  <span>Kiritsugu</span>
  <span> what I taught you?” A familiar voice called out to him. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>His breathing quickened for a split second before he controlled it so no one could notice. </span>
  <span>No</span>
  <span> she couldn’t be alive, he shot the plane down in a fiery explosion.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You can’t be alive, you’re just a figment of my imagination,” He reasoned to the voice of his dead mentor.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You haven’t dulled you senses over the years, good.” Natalia Kaminski was a freelance mercenary that had found the young boy during the incident of the </span>
  <span>Alimango</span>
  <span> Island fiasco. His father’s potion had turned the entire island into ghouls and a manhunt had been made for </span>
  <span>Norikata</span>
  
  <span>Emiya</span>
  <span>. Imagine to her </span>
  <span>surprise</span>
  <span> when </span>
  <span>Norikata’s</span>
  <span> own son would be the one to kill him. Taking off island she was further surprised by the boy’s willingness to be her assistant on her assignments.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Taking jobs and killing magi, the two built a familial bond that </span>
  <span>Kiritsugu</span>
  <span> never had and would cherish for as long as he lived. Natalia was the mother that he never had.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>That all ended when a hunt for Odd </span>
  <span>Borzak</span>
  <span> as his assassination had resulted in an entire plane being turned into ghouls. The only way to contain the outbreak of ghouls was for Kiritsugu to bring down the plane with everyone in it.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Including Natalia.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“How are you here?” </span>
  <span>Kiritsugu</span>
  <span> asked as the group rounded a corner. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know really but I think it’s due to someone’s Noble Phantasm. Don’t worry it’s not harmful or anything but from what I can tell </span>
  <span>it</span>
  <span> brings forth the past to bleed into reality. Almost like you’re seeing a real-time video of what happened long ago.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Why are you here?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Hmph little brat, I just wanted to see you again with what little time I could get.” Already her voice was starting to soften as the beggar told the group they were getting near to where the boy was. “Death is a very a lonely place to be in, I hope you cherish the little family you have here Kiritsugu,” With that Natalia disappeared back into Death’s embrace.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Goodbye...mother,” </span>
  <span>Kiritsugu</span>
  <span> said his own farewells before re-focusing on the task at hand. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>They soon made way to what was a very massive sewer room. Multiple sewer tunnels connected to this room while the stench of blood </span>
  <span>overpowered</span>
  <span> the stench of sewage waste. Blood decorated the walls as other bodies hung from the rafters. On the other side of the room a large pile of bones with fur just laid there.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Assassin do you see the kid?” Maiya asked as they slowly walked in.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>No,</span>
  <span> he may be where the bones are, the other </span>
  <span>Assassins</span>
  <span> will soon be here,” Since the sewer system was so huge that most of the Assassins had </span>
  <span>been</span>
  <span> sent out, leaving about ten to stay with the group.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“H-he-l-p m-me,” A voice cried out as the group looked up to see one of the hanging bodies from the rafters. Various claw marks marred his body and his face had all been smashed in</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“D-o-</span>
  <span>n't</span>
  <span> t-trust the beggar,” Was all he could say before succumbing to his wounds.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It took only a second for them to realize the true threat here.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Lancer!” </span>
  <span>Kayneth</span>
  <span> instantly called out as Diarmuid raced to stab the beggar with </span>
  <span>Gae</span>
  <span> Buidhe, who was in the middle of the group. As Lancer shot at the beggar, he expected to see the yellow spear to pierce the man.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He had not expected the beggar to catch the spear with a single hand with </span>
  <span>surprising</span>
  <span> strength.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>
      <span>"Have you got a screw loose?” </span>
    </em>
  </b>
  <span>The beggar ‘s now beastly voice rang out </span>
  <span>throughout</span>
  <span> the room. “</span>
  <b>
    <em>
      <span>Or is it your... animal </span>
    </em>
  </b>
  <b>
    <em>
      <span>intuition?</span>
    </em>
  </b>
  <b>
    <em>
      <span>” </span>
    </em>
  </b>
  <span>With a mighty throw, the beggar threw Lancer into </span>
  <span>Kayneth</span>
  <span>, Maiya, and Assassin. </span>
  <span>Within</span>
  <span> a </span>
  <span>miniature</span>
  <span> smoke cloud, the beggar revealed his abhorrent </span>
  <span>beast form</span>
  <span>.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <span>“DIE!”</span>
  </b>
  <span> He roared as electricity rolled off of him into the nearby machinery. Sewage tunnels opened up as Loran </span>
  <span>silverbeasts</span>
  <span> began crawling out into the room. They screeched as their electricity begun to fill the room with static.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Maiya!” </span>
  <span>Kiritsugu</span>
  <span> yelled as he raced to help his partner, only for Saber to push him back as a gate came sliding down; effectively </span>
  <span>separating</span>
  <span> the room in half. The Magus Killer placed his hands on the gate bars as the beggar began fighting with the people on his side of the room, his lackeys joining in. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Kayneth</span>
  <span> finally released his Mystic Code to protect him and the others as the orb of mercury begun responding to its master’s call. “Fervor Mei Sangus!” He called out as the orb liquidized in a puddle before crawling up the walls and impaling any silverbeasts that were caught in its spikes. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Assassin and Maiya were skirting around the beast as they used their range </span>
  <span>weaponary</span>
  <span> to try and wear down the beast while Lancer was up and close with the beast as it snarled as the force behind every strike shook the room.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“K-</span>
  <span>Kiritsugu</span>
  <span>!?” </span>
  <span>Irisviel</span>
  
  <span>worryingly</span>
  <span> called out as </span>
  <span>Tokiomi</span>
  <span> ignited his fire staff. He cursed a bit before pulling out his Thompson Contender as he looked what was wrong.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The seemingly innocent looking pile of furry bones began to shift as the sleeping beast announced itself. The skull face of Paarl looked down to see </span>
  <span>its</span>
  <span> prey before roaring its own electrifying roar into the room. With its fur sticking upright and its electricity lashing out at anything that comes close the </span>
  <span>darkbeast</span>
  <span> pounced on its opponents.</span>
  
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Chapter 16 done! Now that I have Faction of Ash running, I feel so much more energy to write both stories now. So, I have both the beggar and Paarl in this rather short chapter. Needed a way to introduce the fight scenes for future chapters. </p><p>Hope you guys are staying safe in these trying times </p><p>Welp that’s all for now and as always... </p><p>May The Cosmos Shine In Your Favor This Day!!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Wrathful Spirits of The Past</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Back to the battle raging on the streets of Fuyuki.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It was utter chaos.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The streets were flooded with combatants from both sides as they desperately tried to gain the upper hand. Howling beasts trampled over friend and foe alike, soldiers called forth by their King stood side by side as the waves of </span>
  <span>Yharnam’s</span>
  <span> hunters descended upon them, brutally contested in a dance of death.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Martyr </span>
  <span>Logarius</span>
  <span> was in his own dance with Iskandar as they traded blows with their swords, a clear berth surrounded them as any foolish to disturb this dance would be torn apart.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>On the rooftops Waver had been delegated a role that he had not been fully prepared for.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The role of a </span>
  <span>tactician</span>
  <span>.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Reroute the troops from this section to strengthen the troops over here.” On one of the rooftops that Iskandar’s army had commandeered was where the command base had been built. A giant map of the city with numerous pieces representing both their forces and that of Caster’s. While their forces had most of the area surrounding the Clocktower but the Hunter army still had the tower under their control.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Won’t this weaken out control over this sector though?” </span>
  <span>An</span>
  <span> officer asked. Seeing how they didn’t have any phones to relay commands, they had switched over to having an officer present to relay any messages to and from the command base to the forces on the battlefield.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“This section will be fine over here for they are </span>
  <span>relatively</span>
  <span> far from the action,” Waver then trailed a circle relatively close to the Clocktower. “</span>
  <span>However,</span>
  <span> the Knights of </span>
  <span>Cainhurst</span>
  <span> are decimating anything that they see, we need to reinforce this defense lest they breakthrough and destroy our </span>
  <span>battle lines</span>
  <span>.” Already their numbers were being </span>
  <span>stretched</span>
  <span> thin as it is and if one of the battalions broke then the rest would follow.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“At once,” The officer saluted across their chest before leaving to relay their message. Not a second later a new officer took their place.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Waver resisted the urge to bit his lip, this was stressful. How in god’s name did Rider achieve this without breaking down he had no idea.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What of our King?” He </span>
  <span>inquisitively</span>
  <span> asked. “How is he faring?” </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“He is doing </span>
  <span>well;</span>
  <span> he stands on equal footing with his opponent.” One of the officers replied.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Good, good,” At least he was doing well. If not for him this entire plan could have never been achieved in the first place. “Now what of Archer?” He thought before looking up at the skies. He could see the golden shine of Vimana gracefully flying in the air. Explosions of purple and yellow filled the night sky as the golden king resumed his aerial fight with the fake Enkidu.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What of the other team?” It had been awhile since the team had gone under the city and there had been no word since. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“We have yet to receive any messages from them, the sewers are now filled with </span>
  <span>electrifying</span>
  <span> beasts making our approach near impossible.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Now the other team of masters and servants had gone silent!? Things were already bad as it was already and now this! “Calm down, Waver. You can’t hope to make any rational choices like this.” Waver tried to calm himself before doing something rash. The fate of the entire army rested on his shoulders. To think that he would go from a lonely magus to the </span>
  <span>tactician</span>
  <span> of</span>
  <span> one of the world’s biggest armies. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright updates people, what has happened in the last few minutes.” The magus steeled himself as the officers begun relaying the newest updates on the battlefield. He hoped that a miracle would show itself soon or they were screwed.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Rider, you better be in a better </span>
  <span>position</span>
  <span> that I am in right now.”</span>
  
</p><hr/><p>
  
  <span>A loud clash of steel resounded through the air as Iskandar locked swords with </span>
  <span>Logarius</span>
  <span>. Ever since their first blows, neither side looked like they were close to kicking the bucket.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You know Rider, you truly are a formidable foe. It has been a long time since someone has stirred my heart with such an intense fire.” Even behind his Gold </span>
  <span>Ardeo</span>
  <span>, </span>
  <span>Logarius</span>
  <span> was grinning. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I must say the same to you my pointy friend,” He joked to which the Executioner laughed at. With a might kick, Iskandar created some distance between them. With this tiny window of reprieve, he decided to ask some questions that he had been dying to ask.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“As one warrior to another, I have some questions that I want to be answered.” </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, we are still in the middle of fighting my friend. Why should I accept? Logarius curiously asked.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You said it yourself, I am an opponent that you have wished to fight for so long. Why not lengthen our battle a little bit </span>
  <span>longer?</span>
  <span>” Iskandar reasoned. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“And what makes you think that I have the answers you seek?” The Executioner pushed back.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Caster is a smart one, there is no logical reasoning to crafting a plan this well just so that it all be for nothing.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, well, well you are a smart one,” Praised Logarius.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I did not conquer Macedonia on brute force alone,” He </span>
  <span>coolly</span>
  <span> responded.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Hahaha,” His opponent laughed as he could find no way to deter this servant from demanding his answers. “Very well, I shall try to answer your questions as vague as possible.” He looked up at Amygdala trying to shoot Gilgamesh out of the sky. “My god will not be pleased if I ruined his plans so early.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Why do all of you refer to Caster as your god?” Iskandar got right to the point.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“If you knew what he was capable of, a god is the only thing that you would refer to him as.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“He has clearly made the Fuyuki Sea to be the main focus of his entire plan. Do not take me to be a fool in believing that the hints the other hunters dropped were out of pity.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You know it makes me wonder if you were summoned as a Caster,” Now that was a funny idea, seeing this buff man dressed in a pure white toga. Iskandar the Wise they would call him. “You impress me Rider with your cunning.” He praised before explaining. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“The sea holds a sin that taints human history. The memories that lay beneath its waves are revolting but necessary for my god’s plan</span>
  <span>.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“The-,” The Macedonian Conqueror tried to ask more questions but to only be interrupted as he dodged an energy slice from Logarius’s scythe.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I would refrain from asking so many questions Rider, you are wasting time that you do not know is very valuable right now.” The scythe glowed a deathly red as the Executioner readied himself for battle once more. “Even now your other team has encountered our sewer defenses and while they have the element of surprise, they will not last long against servants. Simon can only keep them so preoccupied before they leave the sewers so I must step up my assault.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He whisked out his sword but to only stab the sword deep down into the earth A red puff of smoke </span>
  <span>emanated</span>
  <span> from it as a dark grey cloud hovered above them. “Now my friend, let us continue our dance once more.” With a snap of his fingers a rain of swords descended from the murky cloud onto the street below.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Well </span>
  <span>it</span>
  <span> seems the time of negotiations are over,” Rider immediately ran through the storm of blades, batting any that came close with his sword. Unlike Archer in which he would’ve launched an endless barrage of </span>
  <span>weaponry</span>
  <span>, </span>
  <span>Logarius’s</span>
  <span> had a delay between each barrage. </span>
  <span>However,</span>
  <span> to compensate it he </span>
  <span>began</span>
  <span> shooting skull shaped spells at him.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You must have been a bloody brigade of hunters to have the wrathful spirits of your enemies be your weapons,” Rider observed as he dodged a wailing skull before it exploded. Maybe it was because that he too had used the spirits of his fallen comrades for his strength so the skulls were more than spells. Each spell that passed him provided a glimpse into each wrathful spirit.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>A knight crushed by three Executioners.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>A noble that had been kicked off the castle’s walls</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>And many more horrific deaths. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“We were naive back then, believing in lofty aspirations of greatness,” Logarius had a somber tone as Rider experienced just one of the countless travesties that </span>
  <span>Yharnam</span>
  <span> committed. He was once a blind loyal follower of the teachings of the Church, just like the other citizens of </span>
  <span>Yharnam</span>
  <span>. Drawn in by the false pretenses of their miracles he had </span>
  <span>committed</span>
  <span> countless tragedies without question.  In his </span>
  <span>martyrdom</span>
  <span> he had reflected and </span>
  <span>wept</span>
  <span> at what his bloody hands had done. He thought that the only redemption he could find was his death by the hands of the Good Hunter.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Fortunately,</span>
  <span> he had a chance to atone when Caster had asked for his allegiance.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>And he took that hand with no regrets.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you see now Rider? </span>
  <span>Yharnam’s</span>
  <span> follies?” Rider’s sword clashed steel with </span>
  <span>Logarius’s</span>
  
  <span>scythe</span>
  <span> as sparks flew as each tried forcing the other to submit. “Show us that humanity has moved on from infancy,” With a shove, the Executioner manifested </span>
  <span>an</span>
  <span> exploding skull to create distance.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>However,</span>
  <span> Rider had enough of skirting around and decided that he needed to end this now. Ripping the door off a nearby car, he used it as a makeshift shield to absorb the blast. With a yell Iskandar emerged from the blast as he sunk his sword into </span>
  <span>Logarius’s</span>
  <span> chest.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Hahaha, now that’s something I haven’t seen,” Muttered </span>
  <span>Logarius</span>
  <span> as he clutched his chest in an attempt to keep his blood in. </span>
  <span>However,</span>
  <span> that did nothing as he collapsed onto his back.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s over </span>
  <span>Logarius</span>
  <span>, humanity will always rise over their </span>
  <span>challenges</span>
  <span>. No matter what,” Rider resolutely said. </span>
  <span>Unfortunately,</span>
  <span> the downed hunter begun laughing hysterically.  “If you think that this proves anything then you are sorely mistaken.” He wheezed as his body begun glowing red. “Humanity is only worthy once my god says so.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Iskandar stepped back wondering what he was talking about until a shout re-directed his attention elsewhere. Not far from him he was treated to a rather </span>
  <span>monstrous</span>
  <span> sight. Moments earlier a lone Executioner had been forced into a corner by three soldiers. All was well until the hunter doubled over in pain.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Then their </span>
  <span>Logarius</span>
  <span> Wheel shattered as the vengeful spirits trapped within were freed. With a screech the spirits dove right into the downed Executioner. What had emerged was this fearsome monstrous beast as the Executioner had seemingly transformed before their eyes. Their Gold Ardeo having been mutated into a fearsome maw. Red wisps rolled off the beast as </span>
  <span>it begun rampaging a</span>
  <span>cross the streets, other Executioners falling prey to </span>
  <span>beasthood</span>
  <span>.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Heh,” Coughed </span>
  <span>Logarius</span>
  <span>. “I may not have a fancy Noble Phantasm like Lady Maria but I do possess one that is special only to me. After all, I am known as a </span>
  <span>Martyr</span>
  <span> more than a general.” With one last laugh, the Executioner faded into mist. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>So,</span>
  <span> in your death, you fellow Executioners are emboldened with your strength. How fitting for a </span>
  <span>Matyr</span>
  <span>.” Rider said before whistling out loud. From a </span>
  <span>thunderstrike</span>
  <span>, his Gordius Wheel manifested into reality. With a yell Rider begun powering his chariot through the streets.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Now he needed to lead his army.</span>
  
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>Back with </span>
  <span>Brador</span>
  <span> and Lancelot, the two were settling their rematch as the Berserker servant was no longer limited by his master’s condition.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>With a swipe of his transformed Beast Cutter, he knocked the beast-hide Assassin into a wall. </span>
  <span>However</span>
  <span> he did not push his </span>
  <span>assault</span>
  <span> as he would have but calmly prepared himself for the counterattack.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Damm </span>
  <span>its</span>
  <span> like fighting a new servant,” </span>
  <span>Brador</span>
  <span> wheezed out as he picked </span>
  <span>himself</span>
  <span> up out of the rubble. Still even with all the damage he had taken, his satisfaction was </span>
  <span>immeasurable</span>
  <span>. </span>
  <span>Finally</span>
  <span> did he have a wholesome fight that he could let loose in.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Still it’s strange that you are even talking to me now, </span>
  <span>kinda</span>
  <span> got used to the whole howling thing you did.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Apologies that my inner demon impressed you,” Lancelot lied. He really didn’t like to be under the </span>
  <span>Madness Enhancement </span>
  <span>skill as he basically let go of the reins.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I really like that side of you my friend but seeing how the current me is not enough to coax you into returning back to your demonic style I have no choice but to ‘spice’ things up,” He chuckled before he readied himself for what he was about to do next.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>With a beastly roar, the assassin plunged his Bloodletter into his chest. Berserker tensed up but nothing caused him to be on high-alert. That all changed as </span>
  <span>Brador</span>
  <span> slumped forward before his back began pulsating erratically.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Be honored,” He wheezed out before he roared in pain as numerous </span>
  <span>skeletal</span>
  <span> arms erupted out of his back.  Each skeletal arm </span>
  <span>contained</span>
  <span> a different bony weapon. One was a hammer, another a </span>
  <span>scythe</span>
  <span>, one was a blade, a sickle and chain. With the Bloodletter still embedded into his chest, the transformed assassin stood upright. </span>
  <span>Brador’s</span>
  <span> face was now covered by a bony canine mask that as the bloodlust that the bony armory exuded suffocated the road, the two horns of his beast garb hide only increased that feeling.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“My Noble Phantasm, </span>
  <b>
    <span>The Bloodletting Sacrament,</span>
  </b>
  <span>” Originally the Bloodletter had never possessed its terrifying transformation, it was once an old unproven method of treatment that Brador had used in hopes of drawing out the blood of the beastly plague. </span>
  <span>Unfortunately,</span>
  <span> it had also been used a mace to kill fellow hunters and as such the echoes of blood that the Bloodletter had originally killed were imprinted into the poor assassin. Before </span>
  <span>long,</span>
  <span> his body had transformed into an armory of past hunters.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <span>“COME AT ME!!”</span>
  </b>
  <span> He roared as he settled onto all fours and screeched like a banshee before pouncing upward. With maddening look he </span>
  <span>leapt</span>
  <span> down to Berserker. Now he was a storm of death as each arm begun attacking the knight with their respective unique weapons.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Lancelot tried retaliating with his Beast Cutter but </span>
  <span>severely</span>
  <span> underestimated the new-found strength of </span>
  <span>Brador</span>
  <span>. The brute sized whip had tried to catch the hunter off guard as it came soaring from the left, only to be chained up by the sickle and chain arm. With a screech the sword arm came and split the transformed whip in half as it dissolved into mist. Unable to do anything against the counterattack as the hammer arm came and launched the knight into a car with a thud.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <span>“WHAT WILL YOU DO NOW?”</span>
  </b>
  <span> The assassin taunted as he stalked closer to the downed knight with all of his arms alert to what would happen next.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“No, it cannot end here, I must reach her no matter what,” If there was one true regret that he had as a knight, it was never being judged for his sins against his king. Even when word of his affair with Guinevere was revealed, his king had done nothing but banish them. He was willing to be executed for his heinous crimes but all King Arthur had done was look down upon them with his </span>
  <span>righteousness</span>
  <span>. That was why he accepted the grail’s request, so that his king could rightfully judge him and he could be at peace finally.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>So,</span>
  <span> with a deep breath, he reached inside his soul to retrieve the one weapon that might stand a chance against </span>
  <span>Brador’s</span>
  <span> new form. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Lancelot, The Black Knight could not win.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>So</span>
  <span> Lancelot, Knight of the Lake, was needed.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>With a bright flash, the holy sword </span>
  <span>Arondight</span>
  <span> manifested itself onto his right hand. It had lost all of its holy attribute the moment that it had been used to slaughter his fellow knights but he needed it in its full glory. “Please, just this once,” Just like Excalibur, </span>
  <span>Arondight</span>
  <span> was a divine constructed sword that was like no other. It was intelligent in its own right. Hearing the desperate plea of its owner, the sword decided to grant him this one wish. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>With a bright blue flash, Arondight was back to its full pristine glory.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Here I come </span>
  <span>Brador</span>
  <span>,” With a twist of his sword hand, Lancelot re-engaged his opponent. Failure was not an option here. He would get his punishment from his king no matter what.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>No matter what.</span>
  
</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Chapter 17 done! So Logarius has a NP that only activates on death and Brador’s turns himself into a walking armory. Not going to lie that the reason why this is so late is because of the major headache I got trying to think of Noble Phantasms. I spent so much time thinking of what I could do as I didn’t want them to be all just one attack.  </p><p>Expect their updates to be slow this week as I am graduating from highschool. Yippee </p><p>Hope you guys are staying safe in these trying times, hope you are all doing well. </p><p>Welp that’s all for now and as always... </p><p>May The Cosmos Shine in Your Favor This Day! </p><p> </p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. A Symphony of Triumph and Tragedy</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Darkbeast Paarl screeched loudly as it took a swipe at the King of Knights, electricity coursing through its claws. The blinding speed that this thing attacked was on par with that of a servant as Artoria met the lightning claws with the ethereal wind of Excalibur. Electricity and wind billowed from their clash.  </p>
<p>Just as fast as it had attacked, it fled just as fast as Kiritsugu fired a shot with his Thompson Contender. It also nimbly jumped over a wave of flames that Tokiomi had fired off hoping to hit the beast. The beast of lightning taunted them with a laugh before attacking Saber once more.  </p>
<p>The Loran silver beasts were crawling down the chamber walls but were being taken down from the walls as Irisviel’s wired familiars were firing magical spells at anything scaling the wall.  </p>
<p>On the other side of the gate was a whole different story. Diarmuid was having to fight the Abhorrent Beast head to head rather than Paarl’s approach of getting a hit in than using its lightning-fast speed to dodge any attacks. The knight of Fianna was exchanging blows with his two spears as he dodged the beast’s slams before stabbing its thick hide.  </p>
<p>The Abhorrent Beast caught Gae Buidhe in his palm and was about to throw smash the poor servant with his other fist until a barrage of knives embedded themselves into his back. While one servant enhanced dagger wouldn’t do too much, multiple daggers got a reaction out of him.   </p>
<p>Roaring in pain, the beggar threw Lancer away as he focused his attention on the group of Assassins that attacked him. Realizing that they had gotten the beast’s attention, they scattered like leaves in the wind. However, one Assassin was unlucky as the beggar was able to grab a leg and this time nothing would save this poor soul. Erratically, he began slamming the poor servant onto the ground before throwing its corpse at another Assassin copy that got crushed into the chamber walls.  </p>
<p>“Assassin how many of you are still alive?” Maiya questioned as she unloaded a full clip of ammo in the mouth of a Loran silver beast. The now-dead beast slumped over as she surveyed their side of the chamber. The walls were covered in Kayneth’s Volumen Hydrargyrum that impaled any beasts that entered through the numerous sewer passageways.   </p>
<p>“Not as much as we would’ve liked,” The purple pony-tailed Assassin known as Asako responded as she threw a trio of knives to an approaching group of silver beasts. “The assassins sent into the other sewer tunnels are being swarmed right now.” The moment that the beggar had transformed into his abhorrent beast state, the once dead sewers began bustling with activity as lone Assassins got swarmed by silver beasts. Not many survived. </p>
<p>“There are about twenty of us left alive,” Asako was cut short as another copy, a far more muscular copy, got its head bitten off by the beggar before its corpse was ripped in two. The copy’s blood painting the beast in a far more sinister light.  </p>
<p>“Nineteen now.” She deadpanned.  </p>
<p><b> “I haven’t had this much fun since I tricked that poor family down at the Forbidden Forest, how delectable their despair was in their final moments,” </b>  Laughed the beggar before noticing Lancer about to re-engage him in a fight.  <b> “And another delectable morsel comes to the slaughter.”  </b> </p>
<p>“In the name of my king, I shall end you here beast!”  </p>
<p><b> “Amusing,” </b> Lancer slid under a swipe before stabbing Gae Dearg in the beast’s abdomen. Even with the red spear’s special ability, the beggar’s thick skin reduced the Noble Phantasm into a mere spear that could still cause some damage. Swiftly standing up, Diarmuid settled into a stance ready to deal with whatever came his way.  </p>
<p><b> “Loyalty was it, how amusing that you humans cling so tightly to such fickle ideas. It’s no wonder you make the saddest of stories.” </b> He laughed as he threw another series of punches at the knight.  </p>
<p>“You would mock my loyalty to my king?” Diarmuid met the onslaught of punches with quick jabs of his two spears, each side unable to. The exchange of blows soon stalemated as the beast caught the two spears with his hands.   </p>
<p><b> “You speak of loyalty like it has helped you in any way. After all, you betrayed your great friend Fionn,” </b> The beast smiled maliciously as it leaned in so close that Diarmuid could smell its retching breath.   </p>
<p>“I didn’t wish to betray him!” He argued as he tried to break his spears free from the beggar’s grasp. “I tried to atone for it!”  </p>
<p><b> “And in your blind loyalty, you believed that he would not hold any resentment. You believed that blind loyalty would save you  </b> <b> but, in the  </b> <b> end, </b> <b>  it would prove to be your downfall.” </b> The beast nudged his head towards his master who was busy using his mercury orb in killing the waves of silver beasts pouring in.  </p>
<p><b> “Even in a new life, your blind loyalty has turned your master against you. He has seen how you have enamored his wife with your noble character and looks, how you are a saint compared to him,” </b>  The beggar looked back at him.  <b> “He would not hesitate to off you if it meant saving his wife.”  </b> </p>
<p>“You lie,” He snarled at the beast.  </p>
<p>The beggar looked hurt, or it seemed like it before he leaned dangerously close to him as he whispered into his ear. <b> “Then I suppose we will have to test such loyalty don’t we,” </b> He slammed his feet into the ground before throwing the knight up into the ceiling. With his adversary temporarily out of the way, he focused on his master. With a roar, he shot forth an air blast with both of his fists that launched the poor magus off his footing. While such a shot would not launch Kayneth into the air, it did push him close enough to a trapdoor that opened just as his foot shakily landed on it.  </p>
<p>With a scream, Kayneth fell deeper into the dark abyss of the sewers.  </p>
<p><b> “Now then Diarmuid, let us see if bonds truly mean anything in the face of death.”  </b> </p>
<p>Back on the other side of the chamber, Paarl was darting around the room erratically as it evaded Saber’s attempts to hit it. Paarl was proving to be a pain in trying to hit as it seamlessly transitioned from attacking to evading. However, its luck would soon finally run out.   </p>
<p>After having finally analyzed how Saber was essentially herding the beast into a particular pattern, Tokiomi fired off a barrage of fireballs that hit the beast dead on. Its pained cries filled the room as its electricity infused body was now bathing in hot fire.  </p>
<p>With a snarl Paarl leaped at the Tohsaka magus, claws ready to shred the poor magus into ribbons.  </p>
<p>The poor dark beast forgot the crucial fact that there was another magus present in the room. As the flame parted from its face, Paarl could see Kiritsugu impassively staring at him; Thompson Contender aimed right at him.  </p>
<p>“Checkmate,” He said. With the press of the trigger, a single bullet flew out of the mystic code and into the skeletal back of the beast. In a loud shriek, all of Paarl’s built-up electricity was destroyed as it collapsed mid-way into a pile of bones, struggling to pick itself up. Artoria was not going to waste this opportunity.  </p>
<p>“HAH!” She yelled as she closed the distance between her and Paarl. The skull face of Paarl could only turn just in time as the King of Knight’s armored fist slammed itself into its face, a sickening crunch resounded from the impact.   </p>
<p>Not letting up the assault, she two-handed Excalibur as the divine blade scraped across the floor as it launched the downed dark beast into the air. “Strike Wind!” She yelled as she held the blade into a rapier position and shot the divine winds into the falling beast. Paarl roared in pain as its body slammed into the gate, tearing the divider into pieces as it was launched into the Abhorrent Beast. The beggar and Paarl were both slammed into a wall.  </p>
<p>With the gate having a hole punched right through it, the team finally regrouped with each other.  </p>
<p>“Kiritsugu are you alright!” Maiya yelled in worry.  </p>
<p>“I’m fine, thanks for asking,” He gave a rare smile before slipping back into his killer mode as he reloaded the Thompson Contender.  </p>
<p>“What of your master Lancer?” Inquired Artoria.  </p>
<p>“I know not where he is right now but the fact that I have not begun dematerializing means that he still lives.” Diarmuid still had hope that his Kayneth would survive whatever ordeal that he was placed in. The beggar’s foreshadowing had done little to ease his worries, however.  </p>
<p><b> “KILL THEM!”  </b>The beggar roared as every silver beast in the room now begun to swarm the group.  </p>
<p>The group nodded before assuming a tight circle formation as the first silver beasts pounced on them with their claws out.   </p>
<p>What was displayed was on a whole new level.  </p>
<p>Lancer and Saber were a flurry of blades and mana. Each strike felled ten beasts as they put their legendary skills to the test. Body parts and blood flew as the horde of beasts were being met by an unstoppable storm of steel.  </p>
<p>Kiritsugu and Maiya were firing their weaponry with deadly precision, a testament to how well trained they were as mercenaries. No ammunition was wasted as each beast was felled with the exact number of bullets. No time was wasted as the two were lost in their worlds, but always there to assist the other without any need to voice it. One silver beast broke through Saber and Lancer’s defense and was aiming to eviscerate the Magus Killer’s back. Just as the longest nail was about to scrape his back, Maiya shot down the silver beast without even looking. Such as the bond between these two.  </p>
<p>The remaining Assassins had their daggers flying through the air like a whirlwind of steel. Any beast that got passed Lancer and Saber were swiftly dispatched by the Assassins.  </p>
<p>Irisviel had her familiars flying above the group raining down magical projectiles on the horde while Tokiomi was shooting barrages of fireballs into any concentrated clusters of silver beasts. While the silver beasts were pouring with a seemingly endless supply; the masters and servants were so concentrated that the horde died out as the last vestiges of silver beasts met their unfortunate ends at the hands of Lancer and Saber.  </p>
<p><b> “DIE!” </b>The beggar screamed as he ripped Paarl’s skeletal neck off as he began devouring Paarl’s head. A second later a loud thundercloud resounded as the new force of nature’s roar shook the chamber. The once puny electricity currents that were coursing through his skins were now raging thunderstorms that singed anything near it.  </p>
<p>However, this new show of power would not deter the group as they attacked with a newfound source of strength.  </p>
<p>Tokiomi and Irisviel’s familiars sent out a collective barrage of spells that soared towards the beggar. Snarling, the beggar shot off a burst of electricity that collided with the spells, a massive smoke cloud resulted from the collision.   </p>
<p>From the smoke, the remaining Assassin emerged from it. Working as one, the fifteen remaining Hassans were a blur as they moved around the Abhorrent Beast. The empowered beast tried to snatch any of the evasive Assassins but whenever he reached for one; the result would be his victim dodging just out of reach while the others painted the beast’s back with daggers.  </p>
<p>The beggar roared in frustration as he concentrated a ball of energy at his back that once imploded, generated a shockwave that pushed the Assassins out from their assault.  </p>
<p>As the Assassins were pushed out, Lancer and Saber made themselves known.  </p>
<p>In a strange move, Diarmuid threw Gae Buidhe into the beast’s left arm. The force behind the throw staggered the beggar as the yellow spear buried itself deep into the flesh. He was about to wrench it free from his arm until he noticed Saber was ready to strike. Ignoring the pain, he reached out to swat the King of Knights away. However, the combined distractions of the sudden onslaught and Gae Buidhe’s magical properties had left the beggar ignorant of the fact that Excalibur was swirling with its divine winds.  </p>
<p>The beggar could only look in shock as the divine winds of Excalibur tore his right arm to shreds, the hide of a beast being no match for the might of Excalibur. He could no voice his agony as Lancer lept over Saber and tore his yellow spear free before creating a giant diagonal slash across the beggar’s back. The combined pain of losing his right arm and a giant gash on his back, the abhorrent beast fell to his knees.  </p>
<p>The smoke parted to reveal Kiritsugu with his Thompson Contender ready to fire. Without missing a beat, a singular bullet was fired that slammed itself into the head of the beggar as the mystic code took effect. <b> “Dammit,” </b> Was all the beggar could say before collapsing onto the ground before disappearing in a cloud of mist.  </p>
<p>The once chaotic sewer chamber had finally died down, they had won.  </p>
<p>Irisviel began walking to where Paarl was resting, garnering the confusion of everyone else as she began feeling the wall for something.  </p>
<p>“Iri what are you...” Kiritsugu trailed off as his wife managed to activate a hidden switch that opened up a little chamber in the wall. Reaching down she pulled out a human boy with red hair as she held the terrified boy and walked back to the group.  </p>
<p>“I guess something good came out of this mess,” Asasko smiled. Even if her personas had now been limited to fifteen servants, the safety of the boy made it all better.  </p>
<p>“Can you tell me who you are?” Irisviel gently asked the boy in arms, careful not to add any stress to the already distressed boy.  </p>
<p>“I-I-I,” The boy began stuttering as the horror of whatever had happened to him was still fresh in his mind.  </p>
<p>Kiritsugu sighed as he pinched his nose with his fingers before looking back at the boy, his features softening. Walking forward he gently took the boy from Irisviel’s grasp and looked at the boy with a warm fatherly face.  </p>
<p>“It’s alright now they’re gone now; you don’t need to tell us your name if your still scared, but know that nothing will hurt you as long as I am here.” The group looked in shock as they witnessed the Magus Killer calm the child down. It wasn’t every day that they would see the infamous killer be a warm fatherly figure.  </p>
<p>It worked as the boy nodded before shakily providing his name.   </p>
<p>“M-My name is S-Shirou.”  </p>
<p>From the shadows, Simon nodded in approval before vanishing. He needed to prepare for his part of the plan.  </p>
<hr/>
<p>Kayneth did not how long he had been stumbling in the dark. He had fallen in a dark tunnel that he could barely see two feet in front of him.   </p>
<p>He was wobbling when he walked as he was pretty sure that he had sprained his ankle when he fell. The only reason why he wasn’t yelping with pain was all the recent events with losing his wife to the clutches of Caster.  </p>
<p>“Sola, Sola,” He mumbled. Maybe he was beginning to lose his mind down here, maybe the wound on his head was making him delirious when a silver beast had nicked his head with its claws before he disposed of it.  </p>
<p>He didn’t know how long he walking for until he heard the sound of chiming bells. It almost reminded him of his wedding day with his beloved wife.  </p>
<p>In one step his trek in the darkness had illuminated itself as he found himself no longer in the sewers but in a chapel decorated to that of a wedding. A heavenly tune was playing as he walked an aisle that was decorated with an abundance of white roses.  </p>
<p>That all led up to his wife dressed in the finest wedding dress he had ever seen.  </p>
<p>“Sola!” He cried out as he began running to embrace his wife. He no longer cared if this was a hallucination or a trap. The stress had piled up to the point that he grown delirious and seeing his wife was the breaking point.  </p>
<p>He embraced his wife as hard as he could as he sobbed into her dress. “Kayneth,” Her heavenly voice had eased all his burdens as he could finally let go of all the stress he had been holding.  </p>
<p>“Look at me,” She cupped his cheek with her hand as she made him look at her. He could see her divine face as she smiled at him.  </p>
<p>“Look at me,” Her smile grew malicious as Kayneth noted that he had never seen her smile like that before.   </p>
<p>“Sola?” He whispered as the veil disappeared in front of him as he looked around and noticed that that chapel was all an illusion and he was really in a dimly lit chamber in the sewers. Dread set in as he looked back at his wife, unable to bear what came next.  </p>
<p>He was no longer in the arms of his wife but of a horrid creature with a bulbous head looking at him with many eyes. The magus tried to break free but the Winter lantern’s arms had trapped him as she brought him closer to her. <b> “Look at me,” </b> Sola-Ui repeated.  </p>
<p>“No, no, no,” Mumbled Kayneth before he fully broke down as tears began streaming from his eyes. “NO!” He cried out as Sola-Ui revealed her multiple mouths and begun tearing into her poor husband. Volumen Hydrargyrum collapsed into a sad puddle as its master’s body was being torn to shreds by his beloved wife. A gruesome death later, Kayneth’s mangled body fell to the floor.  </p>
<p><b> “Diarmuid, Diarmuid, Diarmuid,” </b> She repeated as she lovingly cradled Kayneth’s arm that held her beloved servant’s Command seals. If one was to draw parallels between her form and a normal Winter Lantern was that she was wearing clothes accustomed for a wedding then the regular noble clothing that one would see on a normal Winter Lantern.  </p>
<p><b> “Wait for me, my beloved.”  </b> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Chapter 18 done! Sorry, it took so long to get an update in, this chapter took me a while to write so forgive me for the late update. Shirou was indeed the boy taken and Sola-Ui kills off her husband in a very gory manner.  </p>
<p>I hope you guys are staying safe in these trying times.  </p>
<p>Welp that’s all for now and as always...  </p>
<p>May The Cosmos Shine In Your Favor This Day!  </p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Beginning of The End</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The skies of Fuyuki were the battleground for two divine beings as they soared through the clouds. No soldier or hunter dared disrupt the sacred battle raging between these two beings. </p><p>Gilgamesh effortlessly dodged through another cosmic laser as Vimana responded effortlessly to his commands. The golden ark was not like conventional aircraft at that it traveled at the speed of thought. Maneuvers that were impossible to pull off in modern aircraft was possible in the golden ship. </p><p>“Your insistent actions are starting to annoy me little bug,” Having his ire, Gilgamesh glared down at the multi-armed eldritch being perched on the tower. However, he clicked his tongue as a sickle flew past his head as he re-focused on his pursuer.  </p><p><em> “Hehe, forget about me so soon King of Heroes?” </em> Mocked the Wet Nurse as the fake body that the Great One was inhabiting fired off a barrage of sickles from its fake purple gates. </p><p>Gilgamesh configured Vimana’s wings before pulling high up into the sky, wishing to deal with his interloper without any interference. It worked like a charm; as he flew higher into the sky his chaser soon followed. </p><p>Breaking through the clouds, Archer had Vimana hover in the air as he waited for his opponent to appear. A second later, the fake Enkidu burst through the clouds as it stared at the awaiting King while hovering in the air with its shredded wings. </p><p>“Let us finish this fight of ours with the sky as our witness faker,” Gilgamesh addressed his opponent. </p><p><em> "Yes, </em> <em>  this battle has drawn out long enough,” </em> Was all the fake Enkidu said before shooting towards the hovering King. </p><p>His response was a barrage of weapons from the Gates of Babylon as the treasury fired at the approaching abomination. With a laugh, the wet nurse flew through the incoming weapons. Dodging and weaving through the projectiles, it wasn’t long until it closed the distance with the Archer. </p><p><em> “You’re mine!” </em> It yelled as it manifested a spear on its fingertips and came aiming for Gilgamesh’s neck. </p><p>Gilgamesh grunted in response as he moved his head so that the spear like hand pierced the throne. In one fluid motion, the King of Heroes moved out of his throne and onto the deck of the Vimana. </p><p>A pair of short swords fell through the Gates and he was able to grab before readying himself for an assault as the Fake Enkidu wrenched his spear hand out of Vimana’s throne and shot itself at the king. </p><p>Even if the space on Vimana’s nose was not suited for fighting, the two combatants made it work as neither side relented in their attack. Even if Gilgamesh had been summoned as an Archer and not a Saber, he could still wield other weapons to a terrifying degree.  </p><p>Not expecting for the King of Heroes to wield two swords with such skill, the Fake Enkidu manifested another spear on its other hand before commencing the duel once more. </p><p>Going on the assault, Gilgamesh was able to make the faker stumble as he forced the being closer to the edge with an unrelenting assault. Taking advantage of its stumble, the servant kicked the being out of Vimana. </p><p>Laughing the faker manifested its wings as it took control of its momentum and hovered in the air as it stared down Archer. </p><p>“Not only do you not share the same personality as my dear friend, you also do not fight like he would.” Gilgamesh taunted as he looked at the flying Enkidu. Yes, the only thing that they in common was their looks. This copy fought like a maniac compared to the reserved clay being. </p><p><em> “True,” </em> Was all it said before an array of purple portals appeared behind it as they fired off a wave of sickles. He responded with a wave of his own weapons as they collided with each other as the result was a massive smoke cloud that covered the two. </p><p>In the midst of the storm cloud, Gilgamesh tried to discern where his opponent was. His eyes widened as he tried to shoot the faker down through the smoke but was too late when it came barreling out of the smoke as it grabbed his head. Slamming his head down to the surface of the Vimana, the fake Enkidu readied to deliver the finishing blow. </p><p>“Move!” he commanded the Vimana.  </p><p>Responding to his commands, the Vimana lit up before it slowly begun moving. Having an idea he commanded the ship to respond to his thoughts as the ship begun following the commands. </p><p>By flying straight down full speed. </p><p>As the Vimana barreled downward, it was getting harder and harder for the Fake Enkidu to keep its grasp on his head while trying to remain on the ship. The force of the wind proved too much for it as the whiplash ejected him out into the sky.  </p><p>With that out of the way, Gilgamesh tilted the ship so that he could sit back onto the throne while not losing momentum as it continued its way back down to Fuyuki City. He could sense that his pursuer was behind him still and begun firing his gates into the clouds in hopes of hindering the winged clay being. The explosions rippling in the background told him that they were ineffective </p><p>Breaking through the clouds Gilgamesh could see the chaos gripping the city as he surveyed his sole opportunity to end this game of cat and mouse. “There you are,” He grinned before nose-diving at the Amygdala perched on the Clocktower. </p><p>“Amygdala bogey 7 o'clock,” A Powder Keg hunter that was stationed on the Clocktower called out to the Great One as the Vimana came soaring for them. “Looks like he won’t be changing course, take your shot!”  </p><p>The Great One positioned itself to take a shot. Lining up the shot it fired a cosmic laser that flew through the air in a straight line. Gilgamesh stared impassively at as the Vimana continued undeterred in its flightpath. From behind Mergo’s Wet Nurse hadn’t realized their ally had fired a laser at him and still believed that the kill was theirs. </p><p>“Almost there,” Braced Gilgamesh as the laser came closer and closer. </p><p>“Almost,” The laser was only a few meters out and closing the distance fast. From behind him the faker had almost caught up. </p><p>Gilgamesh smirked as it all came together. At the last possible second he had the Vimana bank to the left as it got clear of the laser’s trajectory. </p><p>Leaving his pursuer to take the full brunt force of the laser. The abomination’s eyes widened in shock as the golden back of the Vimana was replaced with the cosmic laser of Amygdala. It couldn’t react in any way before the laser collided into them. </p><p><em> “Y-You think this is enough!” </em> It roared as the smoke parted to reveal their crippled form. Wings that could barely fly were carrying a destroyed corpse. Having lost most of its body in the explosion, with only one arm and leg remaining, the abomination was as good as dead. </p><p>“No but this will,” Gilgamesh surrounded the being with a full circle of his Gates before letting loose the treasury on him. As the smoke settled the only reminder that there had been anything was the mist that emitted from its death. </p><p>“Now then,” He re-focused Vimana so that it continued soaring through the air as he gazed on his next opponent. Amygdala showed no response to accidentally killing off a fellow Great One as it fired its lasers. </p><p>“It’s time to deal with you.” </p><hr/><p>Brador had never utilized the Bloodletter in the manner he was using it now. It had always been his sole comforter down in the murky depths of the Astral Clocktower. The fear of beast hood and what it would do to him had made him a fearful man, blindly following the Church’s teachings. He thought if he repressed his battle lust then he would get to survive. </p><p>As he fought in his new beastly state against Lancelot, he could understand the thrill that so many hunters lost themselves to. </p><p><b> “Annoying!” </b> He growled as he manifested a bone hammer on one of his appendages before lashing out with it at the black knight. The force behind the hammer should’ve crushed Berserker’s blade but all it merely did was kick up some air from the impact as Arondight took the hit. </p><p>Lancelot reacted quickly as he brought the divine construct out of the block and sliced the hammer off the bony arm. He was about to push the offense until he began blocking an attack from a scythe and axe bone arm. </p><p>He had no worries that Arondight would survive any assault that came its way. It was a divine construct with the special ability that no matter what attack that it received; it would come out unscathed and shine continuously like the water of a lake. It was the sword that defined what a “perfect knight” was to be. Its divine glow would be tainted when Lancelot would turn on his fellow knights. </p><p>Only now did it find him worthy to use its full power once more after seeing the resolution that the knight possessed to see his judgement through. It was his actions that led to the downfall of Camelot and he knew that was the case, and he patiently awaited the day of judgement. However, he failed to act when his king required her knights in the battle of Camlann and his hesitation led to King Arthur dying on the battlefield. </p><p><b> “To think that we would both have some nice tricks up our sleeves </b> <b> , </b> <b> ” </b> Brador complimented as he grew another bony weapon. They were at a stalemate, Brador had seemingly infinite reservoir of weapons to pull from while Lancelot had a sword that would not bow to anything less to a holy sword. </p><p>“To be fair you have pushed me far enough to beg my weapon to be used at its full might, I must thank you for that,” Thanked Lancelot. </p><p><b> “ </b> <b> Hehehe </b> <b> , you shouldn’t thank me yet friend, I am just the tip of the iceberg, </b>” Foreshadowed the beast-hide assassin before he pounced on the knight with all his bony weapons poised to strike. </p><p>Dodge a sweeping scythe. </p><p>Block a hammer strike before parrying a great sword. </p><p>Duck under a punch </p><p>Slice off a bone arm only for it to regenerate in an instant </p><p>Snapping off a lance made of bone before stabbing it into the back of Brador and jumping out of the way as Brador arms begun flailing around in hopes of eating him as his body reacted to the pain. Brador merely laughed to the pain as he ripped the lance out of his back before launching it. </p><p>Bringing up Arondight to block it, Lancelot could barely react to Brador closing the distance and his claws almost tearing though his armor. He did not get out unscathed as the claws were able to slash the armor enough so that blood began dripping out of it. </p><p><b> “Usually my weapons have the effect of frenzy when they can get a clean hit on flesh. It would cause the victim’s body to begin tearing itself up under the effects of madness but...” </b>  He gestured to the black knight.  <b> “It’s totally  </b> <b> ineffective </b> <b>  to a being already effected by madness.” </b> </p><p><b> “Still you are losing time that you do not know that you have,” </b> He gestured to the chaos surrounding them. </p><p>The streets were still drowned in chaos as the Hunt and Rider’s army showed no signs of slowing down their conflict. The number of beasts had died down but it was still a bloodbath between soldiers and hunters as they battled for dominance of the city. <b> “Your army may be the largest that the world has ever seen but you must realize that it is not  </b> <b> infinite </b> <b> . As we speak Rider’s master must be feeling the drawback of the mana being used. The command seals that he no  </b> <b> doubtedly </b> <b>  used are beginning to lose their effect.” </b> </p><p><b> “While your army begins to slowly be pushed back, ours is infinite and never dying. That is...” </b>  He gestured himself.  <b> “You kill me.” </b> </p><p>“Then the plan is simple enough,” Lancelot’s grip on Arondight tightened as he readied himself to go on the offensive. </p><p><b> “Oh?” </b>  Questioned the hunter.  <b> “We have been in this fight for a while now and you have yet to deal any serious damage to me. When will you succeed, when your entire army is in shambles?” </b> </p><p>Berserker could only click his tongue in frustration at the stalemate they found themselves in. Yes, he could invoke Arondight’s true power and end the fight here and now but he could tell that Brador was being protected. He could see faint glimpses of Cainhurst knights standing watch, ready to intervene if Brador found himself being pushed back.  </p><p>He needed a distraction but what? </p><p>! </p><p>“You say my army is being pushed back but my eyes are showing me something else,” Lancelot motioned to what was happening behind Brador. </p><p>There stood Iskandar leading a charge with his soldiers as they charged through the middle of the city, which incidentally happened to be the highest concentration of hunters and beasts. Iskandar roared his battle cry as he rode on Bucephalus as he and his army ran through any hunter or beasts with their spears. </p><p><b> “Deal with him!” </b> He commanded his knights as they rushed off to deal with the sudden charge of Iskandar. </p><p>“Now!” He pushed the advantage that Rider had given him, now was the time to strike. Two handing Arondight, he willed the divine sword to release its true form. </p><p><b> “Oath to my king!” </b> He chanted as the divine sword began to glow bright blue as it channeled the unbreakable light of the Lake. </p><p><b> “BASTARD!” </b> Brador roared as he rushed to attack Lancelot before he could complete his Noble Phantasm. He pounced onto the charging knight with his claws and bony weapons ready to eviscerate the knight. </p><p><b> “Reaching the very end, beyond the boundaries, King on the other side, look at this light!” </b> Arondight’s blue glow was at its peak as Lancelot swung the empowered divine construct at Brador. </p><p><b> “ </b> <b> Arondight </b> <b> -Overload!!!” </b> He yelled as he the sword clashed with Brador’s bony claws. While Brador’s claws were infused with the bloodlust of the Hunt; it could not compare to the divine might of Arondight. Brador might as well as put butter as a shield against Arondight as the sword cleanly carved through his claws. His bony weapons were also no better as they too were destroyed under the divine sword. The sword continued onward as it begun carving Brador’s body, his armor providing no resistance. </p><p>With a clean sweep, Lancelot dismembered Brador as his torso was separated from his body. “Heh,” Even as his torso fell to the ground and he could feel himself beginning to disappear away; he still had a smile beneath his bony mask. “This was fun Caster,” Brador’s body was disappearing to the point that he would be gone before he even hit the floor. Before Brador disappeared, he saw Lancelot running off to help Iskandar with his army. </p><p>“Who knows, maybe you’ll see who Caster really is,” Was his last thought before disappearing into mist. </p><hr/><p>Atop the City Hall, perched on the highest point of the building. </p><p>Caster slowly opened his eyes, this time the once swirling cosmos within held something different in them as he gazed down at the chaos engulfing the city. He had been watching how things were playing out and it seemed that the pieces were finally moving into place. </p><p>“My Bloody Crow.” He called out to his most loyal hunter. </p><p>“Yes, my liege?” He asked as he cut through two of Iskandar’s soldiers with relative ease with his Chikage. </p><p>“Gather Sola-Ui from the sewers and bring her here, it is time to prepare for the endgame.” </p><p>“Yes, your highness,” The Bloody Crow answered before rushing off to the sewers. </p><p>Caster gazed down at the city as he own forces were beginning to get taken out. Without Brador to provide a conduit for the Old Hunter’s Bell, the wraiths of the past had disappeared and the remaining hunters now found themselves being outnumbered. </p><p>He looked off to see the where Amygdala was trying in vain to hit Gilgamesh out of the sky. Without the Fake Enkidu to distract the King of Heroes, the Vimana effortlessly dodged through the cosmic lasers. After dodging through a barrage of lasers, the gold ark begun making an attack run on the Amygdala. The eldritch being brought its arms up to defend from the inevitable attack. </p><p>Down in the streets Lancelot ripped off a lamp post and with his Noble Phantasm transformed the lance into a javelin. With a mighty throw the black knight launched the spear at one of the many arms of the Amygdala.  </p><p>The transformed street pole pierced through one of the Great One’s arms. With a pained screech, Amygdala unknowingly lowered his arms that Gilgamesh took advantage of. </p><p>“Fall mongrel,” He grinned as an array of Gates was summoned beside the Vimana. A barrage of weapons fired out of the Gates and riddled the poor eldritch being like a porcupine. The pain of being attack had clouded Amygdala’s judgement and in a brief lapse of judgment, loosened its grip on the tower.  </p><p>Trying to regain its grip, Amygdala could do nothing as it found itself falling from its perch. It even took a good chunk of the tower with it as it descended onto the streets with a mighty crash. It tried to pick itself up off the ground but forgotten the fact that there it had ripped off some of the tower trying to not fall.  </p><p>Its last moments were spent looking up at the falling debris just before it got crushed by it. </p><p>Caster began laughing to himself as he took in the chaos. What a wonderful show that was playing out before his eyes. The show was slowly hitting it climax. After giving it some thought, he brought his hand up to his face as he made his decision.  </p><p>“I believe it's about time I’ve shed this form.” With that declaration, he tore through his face like it was a mask. </p><p>The Caster that Ryunosuke had summoned had died. </p><p>In the wake of his death... </p><p>The Grand Foreigner revealed himself.  </p><p>From the corpse of the servant, a being took its place. </p><p>Twelve shining wings emerged from the being’s back.  </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Chapter 19 done! Loose ends are being tied up here. The clocktower assault is successful with the death of Caster’s defenses. The sewer moves onward towards the sea and the Grand Foreigner finally reveals himself. The story is close to hitting its final chapters but it's not ending anytime soon. </p><p>The support that this is story is getting still surprises me and I hope the future chapters will make you guys all happy. </p><p>Hope you guys are staying safe in these trying times. </p><p>That’s all for now. </p><p>PRAISE THE GOOD BLOOD!! </p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Truth and Lies</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>In the dark below of Fuyuki’s sewer system, everyone’s nerves were at an all-time high. Having been ambushed so easily by Caster’s forces, any little sense of movement made them treat it like it was going to be the next threat.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you scared </span>
  <span>Shirou</span>
  <span>?” </span>
  <span>Irisviel</span>
  <span> decided to use her motherly instincts to soothe the boy as they </span>
  <span>traversed</span>
  <span> the murky depths of the sewer system. The boy she was carrying hadn’t give any reaction to their dark surroundings.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“...I’m fine,” He muttered into </span>
  <span>Irisviel’s</span>
  <span> shoulder. It was obvious to everyone that the young child was still shaken up by his kidnapping. Even if he displayed himself as a strong and calm child, the slight tremors that went through his body said otherwise.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Even if their objective was to get to the exit of this forsaken labyrinth, they wanted some way to alleviate this child’s suffering that he chose to silently go through himself.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Even a child shouldn’t be subjugated to a nightmare like this.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Kiritsugu</span>
  <span> then thought of an idea that could take the child’s mind off of the foreboding maze. It worked with Illya really well and he wanted to see if it would work with </span>
  <span>Shirou</span>
  <span>. “Hey do you want to play a little game,” He leaned in so that </span>
  <span>Shirou</span>
  <span> had to lift his head from </span>
  <span>Irisviel’s</span>
  <span> shoulder to look at him. Seeing him grow curious, the magus killer continued.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You see the game revolves around...” Realizing where they exactly were, </span>
  <span>Kiristugu</span>
  <span> kicked himself for not taking their setting into account. Back in the </span>
  <span>Einzbern</span>
  <span> castle, he used the native walnut buds as a way of playing with </span>
  <span>Illya</span>
  <span> as they roamed the castle grounds trying to spend as much time as possible with each other. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Anything that catches your eye,” He finished, not caring for the weird looks he was getting from everyone else. But he didn’t let that deter him so he decided to sweeten the deal a bit. “And if you can guess correctly then I’ll treat you your favorite candy after all of this.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“C-Candy?” Shirou’s dull eyes brightened ever so slightly at the mention of the sweet treat. Heh even if placed in a dark place, kids would still be kids.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Any candy that you want I’ll buy it for you,” Kiritsugu promised. Have the magus’s word, the redheaded boy begun looking around for anything that would fascinating.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“O-over there,” He pointed to something ahead of them. “I think those are some bottles.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Squinting to where the boy had pointed, </span>
  <span>Kirtsugu</span>
  <span> had to admit that the boy had some good eyes to be able to see so far away. “Wow you have great some great eyes Shirou, one point to you.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Having won his first point, </span>
  <span>Shirou</span>
  <span> begun pointing at anything his eyes could see. As he got into the groove of the game, his eyes brightened up and he soon forgot about the terrifying things that had occurred recently.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“And there’s a rat over there!”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Another point to you, being able to see a rat just as it runs away is impressive,”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s a coin over there!”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Hmm...nope that’s not a coin over there.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“But its circular and shining really brightly!” Shirou tried to defend.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“That is true but in </span>
  <span>reality,</span>
  <span> its actually just a slab of metal crudely cut in a circle,” He explained as they walked past the metal circle. From afar it truly did look like a coin but for a marksman like </span>
  <span>Kiritsugu</span>
  <span>, he could tell the difference.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“No fair you have better eye sight than I do!” The boy argued.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I guess, I’ll let you have this point,” Kiritsugu gave the point up. He wanted to grant the boy some semblance of hope for tomorrow, even if that seemed impossible at the moment. Tucking that disturbing thought away, he continued his game with Shirou.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The other members of the group simply watched the infamous magus killer show off a soft side they didn’t existed within him. For Saber it was especially strange seeing the cold aloof man acting so fatherly at this moment.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Saber, is this really your master?” Lancer confusingly asked as they let </span>
  <span>Kiritsugu</span>
  <span> and </span>
  <span>Shirou</span>
  <span> take point. The magus now carrying the young boy on his shoulders.  Even if they were still in an enemy controlled territory, they were walking around like they were in an </span>
  <span>amusement</span>
  <span> park.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“He may act like a cold man but he has a really soft side that he rarely lets out. When he’s with </span>
  <span>Illya</span>
  <span> he’s a completely different man.” </span>
  <span>Irisviel</span>
  <span> said as she walked up to them.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Irisviel</span>
  <span> was not one to lie on such matters like these. That begged the question, Saber looked at her master with hidden sadness.  What happened that would result in hiding this caring father behind a cold mask of a killer?</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes </span>
  <span>Asako</span>
  <span>, how can I help you?” </span>
  <span>Maiya</span>
  <span> asked as the lead assassin walked up to her. Currently their rear-guard consisted of the purple-haired persona and the last remaining nine copies to defend them from any unwanted guests.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Forgive me if this is a strange question for a servant asking their master but we would like to know what attracted you to him in the first place, </span>
  <span>it's</span>
  <span> clear to us that seeing this side of him is rare for even you.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Maiya</span>
  <span> didn’t choose to answer that question but when she saw Kiritsugu interacting with Shirou, it brought a small smile to her face. Something that Assassin saw and accepted as an answer.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“...From the moment that I was born I was trained to be a soldier.” She didn’t know why now of all times she decided to share her life story to her servant, which wasn’t even hers to begin with, but the remaining ten leaned in closer as she began her story to them. Maybe it was the fact that they had been constantly fighting against the odds that maybe she </span>
  <span>sorts</span>
  <span> of grew a bond for her temporary servants.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I never had such things like a childhood or a father and mother, I was trained to be a soldier to fight for what my leader wanted.” She spent her childhood learning the ways of warfare, how to assassinate others and shoot a gun.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She killed her first man when she was just five.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Life continued on for me as a soldier but that had all changed when I became fifteen, my leader deemed me for another role; something that a female was only capable of.” She had remembered those days very well, who wouldn’t. Days spent being defiled over and over without spot. She didn’t care much about it, all for the good of the group was what had crossed through her mind. If she could help the group succeed why couldn’t she do what needed to be done, after all they were only thing she had in the world.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>All of that changed when she gave birth to her baby boy.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She didn’t what changed in her but when she held onto her newborn </span>
  <span>child,</span>
  <span> she no longer cared for the militia she was fighting for. They could burn for all she cared for since she now had something to fight for, something that she chose to fight for.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Her first choice as </span>
  <span>Maiya</span>
  
  <span>Hisau</span>
  <span>.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She would also know what grief was that day.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“They had deemed him as a gift for an alliance with another militia group.” She had to be held back as she watched her son drive off into the desert. Even up to this day she didn’t know what happened him.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I lost myself to grief, I spent the next </span>
  <span>day's</span>
  <span> asking for death to come and release me from my torment.” She smiled as she remembered what had happened next.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“And it did, Death arrived guns blazing.” </span>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>A young </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>Maiya</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span> lifted her head as door was kicked down by an unknown man. Her captors could not react fast enough to the man’s sudden arrival so they were gunned down in a hail of bullets. She gave no reaction to the two men’s deaths.</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Hmm?” Fully expecting for the sweet embrace of death, she gave no reaction to the man moving closer to her. Hearing the sound of a gun being reloaded, she waited for the eventual bullet to be fired.</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>And waited.</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>And waited</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>.</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>bound</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span> captive let out a shout of surprise when the intruder shot the chains that connected her collar to the wall. “Huh?” She asked as the mystery man leaned down and rummaged through the two dead corpses for some ammunition. </span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“You’re not going to kill me?”</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Why I have no reason to.” </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>Kiritsugu</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span> looked appalled at the notion that this lady wanted him to kill her. “You’re free now.”</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“F-Free?” What was freedom when all that she had was ripped from her. Her dull eyes looked up in desperation as her savior sighed.</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“You don’t know what it means to be free do you.” Not hearing anything from the distraught women in front of him, he decided to </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>offer</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span> an </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>ultimatum</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>. </span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“As I can see it you only have two choices in front of you. Your first choice is too wander aimlessly in this desert until something happens to you or...” He offered her hand.</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“You can come with me and be my partner in crime, none of the options that lay before you are easy and you will most likely die if you come with me but,” His face softened as he looked down at Maiya, who had tears beginning to roll down her face.</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“You deserve to make that choice.” At hearing this Maiya smiled for what seemed like the first time in forever as she took </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>Kirtsugu’s</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span> hand. She cared not if the man had dubious intentions or that she was abandoning the place that she grew up in.</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Because for her, </span>
  <span>Kiritsugu</span>
  
  <span>Emiya</span>
  <span> was someone that she would devote her entire life to.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>For he gave her the one thing that she never had.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The freedom to choose her own path. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“And ever since I have not regretted this path that I have </span>
  <span>chosen</span>
  <span>.” Maiya finished as silence reigned between her and the assassins. Some time passed as no assassin made to comment on what they had just heard. Maiya was now beginning to sort of regret telling her servant her tragic past. Maybe </span>
  <span>whhen</span>
  
  <span>Kiritsugu</span>
  <span> had said she didn’t have a great understanding on human interaction he was speaking the truth.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“In a way we are the same as you.” Asako begun. “We are a slave to the name of the Hassan-I-Sabbah.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I thought you loved your </span>
  <span>position</span>
  <span> as one of the </span>
  <span>nineteen</span>
  
  <span>Hassans</span>
  <span>, otherwise your wish wouldn’t have been to be the King of Assassins.” Maiya pointed out.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“And therein lies the problem, history sees us as nothing more than a Hassan not the person who wears the mask of the infamous assassin. There has always been one true Hassan-I-Sabbah, one and only one. The </span>
  <span>nineteen</span>
  <span> that also bear that title </span>
  <span>could</span>
  <span> never hope to reach that level of the first one, so history depicts us as assassins trying to reach that level. Even our wish has been changed to that.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Asasko</span>
  <span> removed her mask just enough that Maiya could catch a glimpse of what laid past the skull mask. “In reality we took up the name of Hassan-I-Sabbah so that our multiple personalities could be grounded to one identity, rather than to be scattered personalities. Our true wish is to be one complete personality, one complete person.” She finished as she put the mask back on.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s...” Maiya tried to say something only for Asako to pull out a dagger, the other nine </span>
  <span>assassins</span>
  <span> doing so as well.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Something is coming.” She warned the group as everyone pulled out their respective weapons. </span>
  <span>Kiritsugu</span>
  <span> made his way back into the group so that they could defend </span>
  <span>Shirou</span>
  <span> seeing he was the only one who couldn’t defend himself.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>There a few meters in front of them, a tall draped figure was slowly limping towards them. What might’ve once been a white cloak was now dirtied and ragged. One could hear the mumblings of the raggedy figure as he slowly approached.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"</span>
  <span>Byrgenwerth</span>
  <span>...</span>
  <span>Byrgenwerth</span>
  <span>...Blasphemous murderers...Blood-crazed fiends..." He hatefully spat out.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The group looked at each other, not knowing how to proceed. Asako moved forward and threw an expertly aimed dagger at the leg of the limping being. The dirk embedded itself into the unknown’s leg as he stumbled and fell forward on his face.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Is he dead?” </span>
  <span>Irisviel</span>
  <span> asked seeing that the being wasn’t responding. She let out a cry of shock as the man pushed himself upward and continued on his way, uncaring if now had a dagger embedded into his leg.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Lay the curse of blood upon them, and their children, and their children's children, for evermore. Each wretched birth will plunge each child into a lifetime of misery.” He continued to chant as he came ever closer to the group. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Saber tensed and was ready to attack the strange man only for her to drop her stance in confusion as he walked past her without heeding her presence. The others joining her confusion as he walked past them as well.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Kiritsugu</span>
  <span> tensed, and so did the others, when the hooded man stopped right in front of him. Following his </span>
  <span>gaze,</span>
  <span> he saw that the hooded man was looking right at </span>
  <span>Shirou</span>
  <span>. Scowling he tightened his grip on the boy in response.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Mercy, for the poor, wizened child...Let the </span>
  <span>pungence</span>
  <span> of Kos cling, like a mother's devotion..." The hooded man’s tone became softer for a moment before he </span>
  <span>began</span>
  <span> his trek deeper into the sewer system, uncaring if he had no destination in sight. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"Curse here, curse there. A curse for he, and she, why care. A bottomless curse, a bottomless sea, source of all greatness, all things that be. Listen for the baneful chants. Weep with them, as one in trance. And weep with us, oh, weep with us...” His voice trailed off as his body disappeared into the darkness.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The group tried to piece together what had happened in the last few minutes but they could not ponder long on it as the end of the tunnel where the limping man had come through exploded in light. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You seek answers do you not?” A voice spoke from the newly made entrance. </span>
  <span>Tokiomi</span>
  <span> noticed the voice sounded familiar but could not place a face on the speaker. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>From the entrance one could faintly hear the sound of rain softly hitting the ground and of crashing waves. Was the entrance in front of them this whole time but blocked by an illusion?</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Then walk forward...” The voice </span>
  <span>beckoned</span>
  <span> them as they slowly walked toward the light, weapons ready to fight back if it was an ambush all along.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Respite lies ahead”</span>
  
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>Deep within Fuyuki’s Sea Shore.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Slumbering peacefully, devoid of the troubles of the world.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The Orphan stirred.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Not yet my friend.” A voice soothed him back to its peaceful slumber. With that reassurance the Great One went back to its slumbering state.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Soon my friend.” Pupils filled with white energy gazed at the rocky cliffs that </span>
  <span>surrounded</span>
  <span> them. The imposing cliffside that enclosed this space off was enhanced by the dreary clouds that filled the air. He then brought his eyes over to the sea where one could only see the masts of ships sticking out of the sea and the massive sun that was in a form of a clock.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The reality marble that existed here was very powerful, a testament to the strength of the Great One that held back the Blood Moon for so long. Rom the Vacuous Spider was certainly a very strong eldritch being.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>His attention shifted as he could see a bright flash being emitted from the sun shaped clock. A smile slowly worked its way onto his face as he could see the masters and servants make their way into the Fishing Hamlet.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It seems that everything was going according to plan.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I leave it up to you Simon.” With that the being’s twelve wings glowed brightly as he disappeared in a bright flash.</span>
  
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>“What in the...” </span>
  <span>Tokiomi</span>
  <span> trailed off as they found themselves no longer in the sewer. He wasn’t even sure that they were in Fuyuki anymore seeing how solid the ground that they were walking on was.  The cloudy skies, the </span>
  <span>murkey</span>
  <span> sea, the village in the distance, all of it seemed real.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Is this the extent of Caster’s power?” He reached down to feel the wet dirt under him. Feeling the wet soil on his fingers made him </span>
  <span>realize</span>
  <span> that this was all real.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Is this all a reality marble?” </span>
  <span>Irisviel</span>
  <span> breathed in the air as they marveled at the murky sea that one could see the bottomless abyss that laid beneath it with the mast of ships poking through the surface.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Is this it?” A voice said as the group swiveled to see who was talking. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Not far from them a group wispy figures walked by them as they made their way to the Fishing Hamlet. They were all dressed in scholarly uniforms and were getting </span>
  <span>giddier</span>
  <span> as they got closer.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“By the gods it is! The hamlet where a Great One was rumored to be at.” One of the wispy figures said.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Praise the Good Blood, Laurence </span>
  <span>will be</span>
  <span> pleased with this development!”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Come my brothers let us make haste, greatness awaits us!”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The wispy group soon disappeared as a gust of wind blew their forms away. Not one of them screamed as they disappeared into nothingness.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You certainly took your time getting here.” A voice called out to them as the speaker approached them. The bandaged blinded man had a smile on his face as he made his way closer to them, </span>
  <span>bowblade</span>
  <span> in hand.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Seeing the resemblance between him and the abhorrent beggar that had been killed recently, the group readied their weapons but the stranger held his arms up peacefully.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I assure you that I am not here as an opponent.” He tried reassuring as he looked towards </span>
  <span>Tokiomi</span>
  <span>. “It is good to see you well Sir </span>
  <span>Tohsaka</span>
  <span>, Rin would be in grief if her father died in that sewer.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“How...” The </span>
  <span>Tohsaka</span>
  <span> patriarch squinted as he found some familiarity in the stranger’s voice. “S-Simon?” He realized as his daughter’s teacher grinned before bowing.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I am Simon the </span>
  <span>Harrowed;</span>
  <span> I am to be your guide today in this nightmare.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Nightmare?” Questioned </span>
  <span>Artoria</span>
  <span> as she took another look at the </span>
  <span>surrounding</span>
  <span> sea around </span>
  <span>them.</span>
  <span> The realm that they were didn’t exude anything close to a nightmare, just a sad and dreary place.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah but you see it is what hides under this fishing hamlet that is the real nightmare, the reason behind the cursed end of all hunters.” He began walking ahead of them to the hamlet only to stop and turn his head to look at them. Even if his eyes were covered behind some </span>
  <span>bandages,</span>
  <span> they could tell he had gone serious.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“But take heed, secrets are secrets for a reason, especially when the secrets are particularly unseemly, so take my word and turn back...unless.” A knowing smirk appeared on his face.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ve something of an interest in nightmares?” Seeing the resolute faces on each person before him, the hunter chuckled </span>
  <span>before</span>
  <span> beckoning them forward.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Then come along as I tell you a story of petty arrogance.” The group soon followed the old hunter as they moved closer to the Fishing Hamlet, unknowing of the horrors within.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“We begin our tale with the washed-up corpse of Kos, who blessed this small quaint fishing hamlet.”</span>
  
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Chapter 20 finished! Man, I really laid this off! Not going to lie the next few chapters will take longer for me to finish because I’m adding new things in on the fly so just to let you guys know. Maiya shows us her backstory, Assassin as well, the group goes through the Fishing Hamlet with Simon as their guide, and soon the Orphan will make its debut. Expect the Orphan to have more than one chapter. </p><p>Love all the support this is getting. Your reviews really inspire me to write better and better chapters. </p><p>Hope you guys are staying safe and wearing your damm mask when you go out. </p><p>That’s all for now. </p><p>PRAISE THE GOOD BLOOD! </p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. A Bottomless Curse, A Bottomless Sea</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Our story starts when the corpse of the Great One known as Kos washed up on the shores of this small fishing village.” Simon begun as he and the group began walking towards the entrance of the Fishing Hamlet with him as their guide. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Of course, they were wary if all of this was a trap but the harrowed hunter had given them no reason to not trust him and were willing to listen to the story that he was telling them at least.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“A group of fishermen found the washed-up corpse on one of their local fishing spots and were intrigued by the strange creature that they had discovered.” Simon waved his right hand as the misty fog that lightly surrounded the group as they were walking. The mist obeyed his commands as it begun to build up and form a story for everyone to see.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It showed three </span>
  <span>fishermen</span>
  <span> finding the corpse of Kos and the three were inspecting the corpse to see what it was.  </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Two of the three fisherman wished to rip the carcass open, to understand what the creature was but the last remaining fisherman had stopped them both. He was the one of the village’s elders and seeing the eldritch corpse had reprimanded the two other fisherman for their nativity.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The scene changed to see what Simon had exactly told them with a fisherman reprimanding the two others as he motioned to the </span>
  <span>corpse</span>
  <span>.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“He told them that this was a gift from the high heavens, a test from the gods to see if they would resist the temptation to violate the corpse. The elder returned back to the village to tell the rest of the villagers of what had occurred.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The little story that was being told right before their eyes then collapsed back into mist only for it to move as Simon then motioned to his left to which the mist obeyed.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“He proclaimed that a god had graced their village and as such he commanded that the corpse’s body be worshipped by the entire village.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The mist then formed </span>
  <span>an</span>
  <span> image of the elder proclaiming the good news to the entire village as they watched the elder motion to the sky and his promises of good fortune from the high heavens.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“But what is the point of worshipping a corpse?” Tokiomi interrupted. If one worshipped a dead being then that person was a fool.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Simon chuckled before he explained. “Death for a human and for a Great One differs immensely Sir Tokiomi. A Great One is never truly dead, even if their body is. They can exist in spirit and watch the human world without a physical body.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The mist then changed scenes as the entire village were on their knees bowing reverently before Kos.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“The elder was right in a way. Kos having seen this display of honor towards her blessed the village with her powers. It was very noticeable that something had changed within the village as harvests were now bountiful and no disasters harmed the village.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Scenes of fisherman pulling up bountiful nets of fish, what was once a small village expanding as families started to live longer and longer, and of other good fortunes were playing out.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“It was a very good time here.” Simon then snapped his fingers which dispelled the mist as the group was now no longer being </span>
  <span>surrounded</span>
  <span> by mist.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“A Noble Phantasm?” Artoria curiously asked.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, I must admit that it isn’t the flashiest of them but it certainly has it uses. A Noble Phantasm is the crystallization of a legend, yours would be Excalibur since it is what defined your tale.” He motioned to the divine sword that was concealed by the mythic winds. “But I do not possess such a weapon. It is true that I used a bowblade that my peers scorned me for but I will always be a seeker of knowledge first than a hunter.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <b>
    <span>The Dead Man’s Whispers</span>
  </b>
  <span>.” Was the name of his Noble Phantasm.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I had a similar thirst for knowledge like the Healing Church, hence the reason why I joined their ranks, but I knew that in the quest for knowledge you had to look to the past to understand where it all stemmed from, not look to the future blindly without caution.” He begun to remember the countless days he had spent in the Chalice Dungeons, enthusiastically reading any and all forms of written books that were left behind by the ancients. “So hence this is my Noble Phantasm, the ability to create a Reality Marble that can dissect the past of any location that I use it in.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“A worthy Noble Phantasm for a seeker of knowledge.” Diarmuid praised.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, Knight of Fianna.” Simon praised before he continued on with his storytelling.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The group finally entered the Fishing Hamlet and as the group begun passing by the soaked houses of the fishing village, they begun to see that Simon’s mist was beginning to reveal itself once more. But that was a minor side note as they noticed the state that the houses were in. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>What might’ve been a quaint home was nothing more than a wreckage that was more </span>
  <span>appropiate</span>
  <span> for to house pests than humans. Roofs were caved in, walls painted with blood, windows broken into. It was clear that the good fortune of the village had ran out.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>As they made their way deeper into the village the servants and masters looked up to see the crucified corpse of what was probably a villager hanging in the air with a noose tied to his feet. The frozen expression of horror on the man’s face told them that he had suffered for many hours before the blood rushing to his head killed him.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Simon took note of their horrified expressions of the man’s gruesome death as the cue to resume telling his story. “And do you wish to know why one should heed the whispers of the past, it's because those very whispers tell the present of what not to do. As the saying goes, history is bound to repeat itself if nothing changes.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The mist then begun to pick up as Simon resumed his role of story teller. “However, with the good fortune of Kos, so too did the whispers begin to spread of a village blessed by a Great One.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The mist then begun to show a collection of random conversations. Those held at a bar, over a campfire, between soldiers and neighbors, all were shown.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“And very soon those very whispers made their way into the ears of the Holy Church, more specifically the First Vicar, Laurence.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The mist then shifted to the Grand Cathedral with a very familiar figure kneeling in front of Laurence as he told the Vicar of the Fishing Hamlet.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>For that very familiar figure was none other than Simon himself.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You told him about the village, you’re the reason how they found the village out.” Breathed out Irisviel as the group looked at him in shock with this new revelation.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, I was very naïve back then. I knew what would have happened if Laurence heard of the village but I stubbornly believed that if I, his most trusted spy, told him about the village and warned him of the Great One’s presence he would not act the way he would. That he would thread carefully when it came to handling the village, I was wrong.” Simon confessed as he looked around the area that they walking through. The way that it was looking they would soon hit the middle of the village, before the lighthouse that looked over the murky sea.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Seeing he had some time to spare he begun to deviate from his story a bit. “The Dead Man’s Whisper is only as strong as the meaning the place has in a person. If it was any other place then it would be nothing more than a few words that I would have to piece together but here,” The harrowed hunter brought his hand up to the sky as he allowed rain to be caught by his palm.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“But here it’s as real as real can be. When I heard of the fate that </span>
  <span>befallen</span>
  <span> this </span>
  <span>village,</span>
  <span> I hurried over to see if what I had heard was real and when I did, that was when I decided to abandon my role as a hunter.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What did you see?” Kiritsugu asked. He could see the guilt that Simon had for the part he had in the fate of this village, the same he had when he killed Natalia over the sea so long ago.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Hmph why don’t you find out.” He chuckled before he snapped his fingers, the mist responding to it. The mist begun to pick up as they made their way to the middle of the village, evident by the well that marked it.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Once word of a village being blessed by a Great One, the Healing Church was skeptical of it. After all one could’ve mistaken any miracle as being a gift from the gods. So, they sent a group of Choir members to investigate.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The mist formed into a vision of the spies in disguise riding on horseback into the village. An elder came and greeted them with no animosity whatsoever as they </span>
  <span>were treated</span>
  <span> as an honored guest. There the vision flickered as the spies gathered information regarding the village as they asked around the village for the info to make a report.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Then the spies left the village after they gathered enough information and made their report to confirm the existence of Kos in the village. With that Laurence assembled some of his most loyal members and hunters to embark on a trip to the village.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The mist changed as Laurence with his loyal members met with the village elders, shaking hands with them under the guise of this being a Healing Church missionary run, how they wished to bless the village with some of the good rejuvenating blood.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“If there was one good thing that Laurence was good at it was being an actor. That man could change personas in the blink of an eye. Probably how he was able to even start the Healing Church in the first place.” When Laurence put his mind to something very little could stop him. Even in the thralls of </span>
  <span>beasthood</span>
  <span> that mentality still stuck through.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“The elders were wary of him, always keeping an eye on him and ensuring that he could not do as he pleased.” The group was now beginning to make their way past the well and up the hill to the lighthouse. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Simon continued with the story. “But the youngsters were infatuated with him, enthralled by the miracles that he could perform with the blood. Day by day he wormed his way into the heart of the younger generations until one day one of them offered to take him down to see the corpse of Kos.” </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The group soon traversed the hill and soon saw the lighthouse that towered over the entire village. “And when he laid eyes on the corpse of Kos, the fate of this village was doomed.” They walked past a lone grave overlooking the sea. A bouquet of flowers rested on top of it, perhaps as some sort of act for forgiveness to the being that rested just below it.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Look and see for yourselves the corpse of Kos.” Simon announced as he let the group gaze down from the cliff to where the Great One resided. True to his story it really did look like a </span>
  <span>washed-up</span>
  <span> corpse, a feeling of dread washed over them as they looked upon the Great One’s pale body.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I truly did believe that this was the day Laurence lost himself to the blood, given in to the insatiable blood thirst. After </span>
  <span>all,</span>
  <span> how could any resist the rivers of blood that was spilled on this day?” Simon motioned for them to follow as they made their way to the second half of the village.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“With seeing the corpse for himself Laurence let the hunters loose into the village without any remorse. Kill any that put up a fight, </span>
  <span>damm</span>
  <span> those who </span>
  <span>surrendered</span>
  <span> to being lab experiments.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Here the biggest change occurred as Simon’s mist enveloped the </span>
  <span>entirety</span>
  <span> of this part of the village. The scene quickly changed from a foggy fishing village into a burning nightmare as day changed to night, clear skies turned into a smoky abyss, peaceful calm replaced by cries of death.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“No one was spared on this night. The hunters descended unto this village with no warning as families that were asleep woke up to not the sun but of the cries of their neighbors as they learned the meaning of horror. Men who fought back were slaughtered in front of their loved ones, women were chained up as they saw their beloveds die at their feet, children were flogged and beaten, and elders </span>
  <span>were tortured</span>
  <span> in front of all to see.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The mist then played out the horrifying scenes before them as they walked through the village. Each member balked at the scenes that </span>
  <span>surrounded</span>
  <span> them. </span>
  <span>Irisviel</span>
  <span> was horrified, </span>
  <span>Kiritsugu</span>
  <span> steeled himself as he covered </span>
  <span>Shirou’s</span>
  <span> eyes so he could not hear what was happening but that did little as the boy could still hear the cries of death, Maiya and the assassins had faces of stone but were deeply disturbed by what they saw, Saber and Lancer looked ready to jump into combat to fight the mirages but obviously they could not, </span>
  <span>Tokiomi</span>
  <span> unfortunately did not share the same feeling as he would have done something similar in his quest for the Root, not like he would say it out loud.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>However,</span>
  <span> Simon knew what the magus was thinking but said nothing about it. “</span>
  <span>Micolash</span>
  <span> you better have something atrocious planned for him.” Was all he thought before he continued storytelling.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“The nightmare did not end there for the villagers, after the hunters had come and razed the village the Choir came and begun to experiment on the surviving villagers in hopes of understanding the blessings that Kos had bestowed upon them.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The group walked past the village as they entered the caverns of a mountain. As they walked in the mist then channeled another scene as the next story segment began.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“The Choir violated any villager that they could get their hands on. There was this idea that one could ascend into godhood if one had eyes lining the insides of their brain as a way to understand more of the cosmos. They ripped into the heads of their experiments, searching for some sort of cosmic secrets in their heads to which there was none, but that did not deter them at all.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>What the mist did next was outrageous to say the least. As they walked the high rafters of the cavern, the mist played a taste of what the Choir had done in the name of godhood. Villages were strapped in beds as they screamed and writhed as Choir members forcibly ripped into their heads, uncaring if their patient was to die from said experiment. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>And if they died from the procedure and had nothing for the Choir? </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Well there was a convenient ledge to throw them off of as their violated bodies littered the cavern floor.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I think I’m going to be sick.” </span>
  <span>Irisviel</span>
  <span> muttered as they slowed descended to the bottom of the cavern. With each step the piles of body begun to climb and climb without signs of stopping.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“That is good, it shows that you are equally as disturbed as I am with what is happening here, it shows that you have a kind heart. Something rare in those that dabble in the mystic arts.” Simon looked back and smiled before continuing.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“But despite Laurence’s efforts those that survived, brutally transformed by the experiments or simply awaiting their turn, held onto the protection of Kos, believing that she would liberate them from their shackles.” The mist disappeared as they group waded through the bottom floor and entered a dark tunnel.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>As they walked through the shadowy tunnels, feet slowly traversing the water that was up to their knees, Simon began to slowly end the story.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“They prayed for vengeance, for their mother goddess to punish the wretches. They prayed but Kos did not act right away, in reality she would’ve probably never chosen to act if Laurence had not committed biggest offense one could’ve done to a Great One.” </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Every Great One craves an offspring, a child to pass off their mantle onto, the child taking the place of the father, the natural order of secession. For within the corpse of Kos a Great One was birthed to replace her and Laurence knew that. He believed if he was to ingest the baby Great One then he could ascend higher into the cosmos, </span>
  <span>how</span>
  <span> unfortunate that Kos had something else to say.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Soon they made it to the last trek. They came across a tunnel filled with pale people with serpentine like bodies, kneeling reverently towards the exit of the tunnel.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“When Laurence decided it was time to now violate the corpse of Kos to find the infant Great One, Kos acted. Inflicting a curse on not only the hunters present but to the future generations that would follow. For if any hunter fell in to the blood lust that plagued the hunters of the Fishing Hamlet, that they would be cursed to an internal nightmare in which the blood lust never ended. It was through the actions of a young hunter that the orphaned Great One returned back to its mother’s embrace.” </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Just as he finished the </span>
  <span>story,</span>
  <span> they had arrived at the Fishing Hamlet’s final destination.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The washed-up corpse of Kos. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Beyond the murky sea filled with ship masts, high above the sky the sun shaped in a clock cast its warmth over them. But it was not that of assurance but that of demoralization. Like it was a symbol of what the Church had done to the Fishing Hamlet would never fade, that it would be as eternal as the sun taking its throne in the sky.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Now that you know of our sad tale, I ask you, what lesson was there to be learned from it?” He asked curiously.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The group remained in silence as they contemplated the man’s word. Each person had their own ideas to what the lesson might’ve been but as they played with the idea in their head the flaws came up within them.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Was it that there were some things that one could not reach? The Church had certainly tried very hard to reach godhood and failed but that was not a lesson one could learn from. If </span>
  <span>anything,</span>
  <span> it taught them not to reach for what seemed impossible.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Was it that nothing lasted forever, but everyone knew that one already so that was out.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>As the group played with their own thoughts, unsure of what Simon might be looking for until </span>
  <span>Kiritsugu</span>
  <span> said his answer out loud.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Truth.” He said as he looked at Simon for confirmation. “The lesson of this story is truth.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“But how does that,” </span>
  <span>Tokiomi</span>
  <span> was about to refute the magus killer’s answer but was cut off as the hunter interrupted him.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, this is a story of truth, well done.” The hunter smiled as it did not take long for someone to figure it out.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Truth? Like the cosmic truth of the Great Ones that the Church wanted so badly.” Irisviel asked with the tilt of her head in confusion.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Simon laughed at her confusion before answering her. “No, nothing like that, but rather what truth means as a whole.” He smiled as he took one last look at the group before him.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Truly it was a </span>
  <span>privilege</span>
  <span> to be your storyteller but now the next story must begin.” He said as he begun to slowly fade into mist to the shock of the others. “This is not goodbye; I know that we will be seeing each other soon but I must let my companion do his part. Survive and we shall see each other soon.” Was all he said before he vanished in a cloud of mist. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The group looked at each other as they tried to decipher his last words to them. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>But fate would not grant them that courtesy as not even a second later did something </span>
  <em>
    <span>move.</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  <span>And it was coming from within the corpse of Kos, the writhing becoming worse within the body with each second passing by.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“The truth is not inherently bad, no it is a facet of human life, something that we all must confront eventually.” Simon’s voice rang out as whatever was the cause of the sudden twitching within Kos’s body begun to move out.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“As common as truth is, we easily forget the grasp it has on us.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“How groundbreaking it can be in one’s life or those around you.” A hand slithered its way out of the body of Kos. The slimy appendage grasping at the ground as it was used to push the rest of the body out.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“But truth itself is not what one must be concerned about but rather what one does when they confront that truth.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Laurence never did lose himself in the bloodlust but rather when he first visited the corpse of Kos. For all his achievements, all that he had done to better humanity, he had expected to finally receive the recognition he wished so much for...only for Kos to deny him the godhood he sought so desperately after.” From the depths of Kos’s corpse, a pale humanoid figure emerged from it. Gasping for air as he pushed himself off the ground, </span>
  <span>a massive</span>
  <span> pink placenta trailing off its left arm.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Will you be proud of the truth that sits in front of you?” The figure was sobbing as it straightened itself up from the ground. The masters and servants recognized what stood before them and they readied themselves for the inevitable confrontation.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Will you even recognize it? Or will it be the thing you feared from the very start?” The Orphan of Kos stopped sobbing as its eyes opened up and landed on the group in front of it and in response and let loose a chilling screech.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Because in truth...” The Orphan stopped its screeching before it tensed its body and leapt into the sky and rocketed itself at the servants charging it, placenta ready to smash its opponents to dust.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“There is only death.”</span>
  
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>That took a while to get this done but here it is! I spent so long on making sure the story flowed well. I wanted to have Simon to have a more pronounced role in the Fishing Hamlet and decided the way that I wrote his story was the best fit. And you all know what the next chapter is so be prepared for that! </p><p>Love all the support this is getting. Your reviews really inspire me to write better and better chapters. </p><p>Hope you guys are staying safe and wearing your damm mask when you go out. </p><p>If you have any suggestions or criticism don’t be afraid to review or PM me. I will answer all to the best of my ability.  </p><p>That’s all for now. </p><p>PRAISE THE GOOD BLOOD! </p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Of Gods and Mortals</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Back in the battlefield known as Fuyuki City, the last embers of conflict were being snuffed out. With the fall of </span>
  <span>Matyr</span>
  
  <span>Logarius</span>
  <span>, Amygdala, and </span>
  <span>Mergo’s</span>
  <span> Wet Nurse the army that Caster had built around the Clocktower was beginning to crumble under the might of Rider’s Noble Phantasm.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It was only a matter of time until the city was once again under the control of the magi and servants of the Fourth Holy Grail War.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Dammit die already!” Off in one of the many alleys that populated the city outskirts, a lone Powder Keg hunter fired off a round of his pistol at his adversary. The quicksilver bullet flew through the crummy alleyway hoping to kill its intended target.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>For a servant, such a weapon could never harm them as Lancelot batted the bullet with Arondight. The divine construct cleanly slicing the bullet in two.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Quickly closing the distance, the servant quickly held onto his weapon with both hands as he charged the lone hunter. The hunter screamed as what seemed to be the very embodiment of death was coming straight at him, Berserker’s black armor being accentuated by the alley’s dark lighting, his red visor being the brightest source of light.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The poor hunter could do nothing as Lancelot speed as a servant narrowed the </span>
  <span>distance</span>
  <span> between them in a flash. Red was all he saw as he got gutted by the servant’s blade. A second later the newly made corpse disappeared in a cloud of mist.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“That should be the last of the forces in this area.” The Knight of the Round wiped the blood off of his blade, waiting for his master to finish up his task.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>A tired, but very much alive, Kariya stumbled into the alley. He was panting but was smiling as he met up with his servant.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You finished over here Berserker?” </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, I am master.” Lancelot responded as he would if he was still a knight under the service of his- “No” He thought, He had no right to call himself a knight under the service of his king anymore; he had lost that right ever since his betrayal.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Expelling such ominous thoughts from his head, he focused on his master’s wellbeing. “And what of you master? Did they give you any trouble?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Kariya smiled triumphantly in response before bringing up his right arm, making the magical circuits within them glow bright blue. “Nope ever since I got these new circuits spells are so easy to chant now. I bet that I could beat </span>
  <span>Tokiomi</span>
  <span> now!” Now that he had circuits of his </span>
  <span>own,</span>
  <span> he would wipe the floor with </span>
  <span>Tohsaka</span>
  <span> bastard!</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The pair walked out of the alley and back onto the main street so they could regroup with Rider to plan out their next move.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you sure such you should hold such feelings against him?” Questioned Lancelot. “After all we must all work together to fight Caster.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>At the mention of the servant that they were facing, Kariya’s happy mood dropped. He had forgotten the whole reason that they were fighting in the first </span>
  <span>place</span>
  <span>. Using his new magical circuits was a new high for him, finally able to wield </span>
  <span>magecraft</span>
  <span> in so long was addicting and now that the high ran off he had to confront reality.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>And that reality involved facing a being that would be the closest thing that he would consider to be a god.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He remembered the raw power that the enemy servant held from the last time they met. The sheer power that he hid behind his eyes, threatening to swallow him whole if not for the servant’s seemingly high amount of mercy.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Honestly Berserker, do you think we can win?” He whispered as he looked at his servant with hope. Hope that there was going to be some way that they were going to live and see the light of tomorrow.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>His mind flashed back to Aoi, how a miracle had seemingly happened to them. He had been ready to sacrifice himself for her, and now that his feelings were being </span>
  <span>refuted,</span>
  <span> he was now scared to lose it all.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know really,” The servant confessed. He could lie in some form of reassurance but he did not want to feed his master false hope. </span>
  <span>No</span>
  <span> he needed to know what they were fighting and the stakes that were involved.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Caster is a threat that I cannot even fathom how we are going to face off against. The Saxons, Mordred’s rebellion, they were tame in comparison to him.” Even with his king on their side, alongside other powerful servants, he doubted that they would win. “But I believe we should focus on the now, not on what the future should hold for if we focus on them then we shall never overcome the current adversities.” He wisely spoke.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It seemed his words had the effect he wished for as his master dropped his brooding in favor of looking at him in shock. Like if he just revealed to him the secrets of the world.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s wrong master?” </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“...Just reminding myself that you’re not the same Berserker that I summoned back in the beginning days of this Holy Grail War.” The once scarred master sheepishly admitted.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes...those good old days.” Remembering how he would only groan or shriek as a way of communication was rather embarrassing and he would love nothing more than to erase that memory forever.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Still wouldn’t expect to hear such wise words from you of all people.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I wish those came from me but those words came from my king one day when our war with the Saxons was rearing its ugly face as our kingdom experienced the toll of it.” Those days back when he was serving as a knight were not pleasant. </span>
  <span>Everyday</span>
  <span> he could see the farmers’ crops slowly dwindling as they lost more and more of their farmland to the </span>
  <span>advancing</span>
  <span> Saxon horde. It was a miracle that they somehow survived winter with such low provisions.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah your king.” Kariya looked away from his servant and towards the sea, where the other servants were. “...Are you ready to meet her?” He knew full well who his king was and it was only a matter of time that the two would </span>
  <span>meet</span>
  <span>.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Lancelot also turned his gaze towards the sea as he pondered on it. Was he truly ready to face her? If was he still in his frenzied state then the answer would’ve been yes. He would’ve given her no choice but to kill him, so that he could finally rest in death’s sweet embrace.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>But as of now, fully able to think logically, he had no idea. The thumping in his chest at the thought of seeing her face hurt. He didn’t know if she would cast retribution on him when they would meet.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Or would she cast her gaze from him once more, ignoring the natural course of judgement in favor of standing before him in her righteousness, just like she had done in Camelot all that long ago.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I do not know,” He admitted truthfully. The sound of horse hooves trampling down on the cement road meant that this conversation was ending. “But I suppose that I shall know soon enough.” He ended just as a certain boisterous </span>
  <span>conqueror</span>
  <span> turned their street.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, it seems that the gods smile in our favor!” Iskandar joyfully proclaimed as he made his way closer to the pair. The King of </span>
  <span>Conquerors</span>
  <span> looked like he had been on the frontline with his armor being damaged in various areas. Still that did not deter him as made his horse stop before them.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“It seems that both you and your master survived, thank the gods for that.” Lancelot greeted back.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, the mad servant finally speaks?” Iskandar raised an eyebrow at the sudden development but quickly shook it off as he grinned from ear to ear. “It seems that this night keeps getting more interesting.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>Yes,</span>
  <span> I suppose it does.” Agreed the Knight of Madness. “Allow me to formally apologize for the actions that I committed at the dock,” Berserker bowed in front of Rider. “I was...not under the right mind back then.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Iskandar shook his hand </span>
  <span>dismissively</span>
  <span> at the apology. “Do not worry about that Berserker, what was done in the past was in the past. Though if you feel you must apologize then it should be Saber and Lancer. After all it was their duel that you did interfere in.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes...I shall do so once I meet with them.” Looks like there was another thing he had to apologize for to his king. “Still it’s reassuring that you and you master are...well” His voice trailed off as he looked at the state that Rider’s master was in.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Kariya looked at his servant in confusion before turning his head and following the knight’s gaze. He too grimaced and said a small unspoken prayer to the boy as he saw his state.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Waver Velvet was fighting the urge to </span>
  <span>succumb</span>
  <span> to his fatigue to the best of his ability. His eyes were unfocused and had bags under them. Even with him leaning on Rider’s chest during the horse ride, his servant had to frequently balance him so that he didn’t lean over onto the pavement.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“He okay?” Kariya asked </span>
  <span>worryingly</span>
  <span>. He understood the kid’s plight very well, he had been in his shoes once.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Waver answered by slowly lifting his hand up and giving a very shaky thumbs up to them. Even simple gestures were a struggle for him it seems.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Iskandar laughed at the expense of master. “</span>
  <span>Oh,</span>
  <span> don’t worry about him, he </span>
  <span>just’s</span>
  <span> a bit tired from using up his command seals and leading my army!” He gave an appreciative slap on his master’s back, ignoring the sound that Waver made when his hand hit his back.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You should’ve seen him when we were in the midst of this mini war. Shouting orders to my troops so naturally like if he was me!” Kariya and Lancelot </span>
  <span>sweatdropped</span>
  <span> as Iskandar fake wiped tears from his eyes. Was he suddenly his dad or something now?</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“A few more battles like this and you’ll be worthy for being my </span>
  <span>tactician</span>
  <span>!” Waver had Kariya’s sympathy as Iskandar basically swore that the boy was going to be living through more stressful situations like these. Even as a lone tear went down the boy’s distraught face, it could not deter the smile that he could see on the boy’s face for having made Iskandar proud.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Yup, Iskandar had unofficially made himself as Waver’s father figure.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Tired already? I thought you were all made of steel, not of paper.” From the sky, Gilgamesh landed the Vimana near them. Even when they were all on the same side, it seemed the King of Heroes thought of them as inferior to him.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Iskandar was not deterred by his mocking however. “Even the greatest of warriors must rest from their battles.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Hmph you speak as if the battle is over. Nonsense, the battle is only over when the enemy is defeated and Caster has yet to be found.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“But you must admit King of Heroes that our masters have performed up and beyond what they were meant to do. In this time of </span>
  <span>age,</span>
  <span> it is so rare that humans perform feats similar to our legends and yet our masters have stood by our side unflinchingly as Caster throws supernatural threats that even we would struggle against.” Lancelot defended as silence echoed in the group. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Was Gilgamesh going to murder him for speaking up? Or enact his revenge for the incident at the docks? It was like there was a ticking time bomb just ready to go off.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Some time passed before Gilgamesh begun chuckling to himself. “</span>
  <span>So</span>
  <span> the mad dog can bark.” He stopped his chuckling, red eyes gazing so intensely at Berserker as if he was trying to murder him with sight alone. “Why is it that you remind of Saber so much?” He thought with intrigue.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I am one of her most trusted knights. Lancelot, Knight of the Lake.” He introduced himself.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Oh</span>
  <span> so this servant was one of her knights? Gilgamesh raised his brow in intrigue. How was it that a knight that would follow her ideals be a Berserker of all things?</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Giving the servant a quick look from top to bottom, he could find the similarities that he and Saber shared. The posture, the aura, the very look that he was giving him; yes, he believed that this knight was indeed someone that served under her.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>But did she know that one of her knights, one that she saw as her own brother, fell into the thralls of madness?</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>More importantly would she blame herself for his state, blame her power to save event those close to her?</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I do hope you are ready for your meeting then sir knight.” He chuckled seeing the slight tense that the man shoulders took and relished in it. </span>
  <span>Oh,</span>
  <span> how enjoyable that would be when the time came.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It did not take long for Iskandar to understand what he was saying as raised a he brow in realization and sent the knight his unspoken sympathies.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Awkward silence permeated the air as the mood had become as stiff as steel with no one knowing, or daring to break the silence.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Gilgamesh where are you!?”</span>
  </em>
  
  <span>Tokiomi’s</span>
  <span> frantic shouting </span>
  <span>interrupted</span>
  <span> his thoughts from their mental link.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, how are you master?” The golden clad archer </span>
  <span>nonchalantly</span>
  <span> responded.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“We need he-”</span>
  </em>
  <span> The line went silent just as abruptly as it had come.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The King of Heroes lifted his head towards the sea to where he knew where his master was. He could feel from their little discussion that they had, the sorrow, the anger; it was so suffocating that it was like he was drowning in it.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>So,</span>
  <span> what the hell had they awakened down there?</span>
  
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>Diarmuid knew that this night would be an ordeal; that it would be the hardest thing that he and probably everyone else would’ve experienced. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>To fight a literal god that could control reality was after all something that a mere knight like him would’ve never thought of facing. If you had told him back when he was still as a knight of Fianna that this would have happened to him, he would’ve have laughed at them for their jokes.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>And yet as they begun to experience victory after victory, he let himself have a little hope that they could beat this nightmare, that they could beat the odds.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Oh,</span>
  <span> how wrong he was.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The gray clouds rumbled with anger as the Orphan leaned his head back and loosed a shriek that even the gods would’ve trembled before. Moving with unmatched speed, it let loose its placenta like a whip around itself in hopes of hitting any servant as it made the radius bigger with each cycle.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Saber yelled as she rushed the malformed Great One, Excalibur ready to strike. Leaping over the incoming placenta, with its focus on the placenta weapon trajectory then there was no way that it</span>
  <span> could block the strike.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Artoria’s</span>
  <span> eyes widened in shock as she was left suspending in the air as the Orphan’s free hand had reacted with blazing speed and grabbed the divine blade, not even flinching from the fact that he caught the deadly blade with its bare hands.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She could not even voice her shock as she found herself slammed into the ground as the Great One had used her sword as a leverage to slam her down on the muddy shore. </span>
  <span>Without</span>
  
  <span>hesitation</span>
  <span> it begun to drag her around the ground as hard as possible.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Let her go!” </span>
  <span>Asasko</span>
  <span> yelled as she and her assassins came running into view. The remaining assassins begun hurtling daggers at the force of nature before them in hopes of making it release its captive. It might’ve as well if they had thrown nothing at all as the Orphan made no indication that the daggers that had hit him had done anything to harm him at all.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>As if complying with her demand the Orphan gave a shriek as it made on last circle imprint on the ground using </span>
  <span>Artoria</span>
  <span> before releasing her at the main Assassin with a ferocious throw. They both grunted as they were slammed into each other and tumbled off from the sheer strength behind the throw. Even with strength of a servant that throw had hurt!</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>As they were both taken out of the fight temporarily, it was left up to Lancer and the other Assassins to keep it occupied.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Keep attacking!” He yelled to the assassins as they rushed towards the Orphan. He took Saber’s spot of keeping the beast in front of him occupied “We have to keep the pressure up otherwise it’ll kill us off!” He yelled as he brandished his two spears just in time to block a blow from the massive placenta.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Saber!” </span>
  <span>Irisviel</span>
  <span> yelled as she came running up to where both Saber and Assassin had ended up. Leaning down she begun to heal their wounds. “Are you okay?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Artoria</span>
  <span> was not in fact okay, even with her parameters as a Saber she could barely keep herself on equal ground with the Great One. “I am now, thank you Irisviel.” She thanked her for her efforts, no need to add more worry on her than there already was. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Saber you good to get back in there?” </span>
  <span>Asasko’s</span>
  <span> voice snapped her out of her brooding and reminded her that there was still a battle that they were losing. The two servants looked as they saw Lancer take a turn being the Orphan’s plaything.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The Great One shrieked as it tried and flatten the Fianna knight into the ground with his placenta. It was only through Diarmuid’s great speed and skill that he could narrowly avoid the strikes that were as fast as lightning.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Is that all you can do O great being of the sea? You strike as if you were a child throwing a tantrum!”  He admonished trying to see if it could get a rise out of it. At this point they needed to try everything against the Orphan or they could kiss the idea of seeing the light of tomorrow goodbye.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The Great One shrieked, understanding what the feeble knight standing before it had said and proceeded to raise its weapon to pulverize Diarmuid for his insults. Diarmuid tried to block the attack by crossing his spears in an x-formation but the Orphan had anticipated this. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It never planned on going through with such a telegraphed attack for it wanted to see if it could bait the knight. Instead it delivered a rib crushing kick that launched the surprised knight to where Saber and Assassin was.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Enjoying yourself?” </span>
  <span>Asasko</span>
  <span> could not help herself to make a remark to try and lighten the mood between them.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Would you like to dance with him next? I can assure you that it demands nothing but perfection from its dance partners.” Joked Diarmuid as the trio cracked a small smile. Even in the most serious of situations, they knew that the most cringiest of jokes could alleviate the mood.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It looks like </span>
  <span>Artoria</span>
  <span> was joining on the wagon as well. “Look it arrives looking for you Diarmuid, it must’ve been angry with your performance.” </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>With no opponents to fight it the Orphan of Kos slowly moved towards them, there was no need to rush. After all no one could run from death when it came asking for your life.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The trio picked themselves up as they readied for another ferocious assault.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Artroia</span>
  <span> Pendragon held Excalibur ready to fight.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Diarmuid </span>
  <span>Ua</span>
  <span> Duibhne readied his two spears for action once more.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Asako and her remaining assassins had daggers between their fingers ready to onslaught the Orphan of Kos in a flurry of steel.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“This may be our final fight you know.” Asako said.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Then it was an honor to die fighting alongside you.” </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“To hear that from the King of Knights, there is no greater honor than that.” Diarmuid pushed down the terror he was feeling as he tightened his grasp on his spears, waiting for the moment that it was time to fight once more.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>But it seemed that fate would hold off their duel just a bit longer as a storm of weapons descended from the heavens and begun bombarding the Orphan, its form unable to be seen through the smoke.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Is this the mongrel that has been giving you trouble? For shame, I thought you were tougher than this!” Bursting through the murky clouds, Gilgamesh grinned as he commanded the Vimana to release another barrage of weapons from his Gates.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The Orphan of Kos would not be hit by the same attack again as it begun to swat the weapons that came at it with its placenta. Fragments of </span>
  <span>weaponry</span>
  <span> flew as the Orphan defended itself from Archer’s </span>
  <span>assault</span>
  <span>.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t think we aren’t doing anything!” From the sea, Iskandar was riding into the fight on his Gordius Wheel. The electricity that the chariot was producing parted the sea out of the servant’s path making its speed be unhindered by the water. Within a second the Gordius Wheel slammed into the Orphan of Kos.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The Great One roared as it used its two hands as a battle of strength played between them. Its arms tensed as it pushed more strength in derailing the chariot.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Roar my chariot!” Iskandar was not going to lose this battle of wills so easily as he smacked the reins to encourage more power to flow. The divine bulls that pulled the chariot roared angrily as they begun forcing the Orphan of Kos out of their stalemate. The Orphan tried to push more power into the contest of strengths but ultimately lost as it crumpled under the pressure and loudly crashed into the ground.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Rider smacked the reins on his chariot so that they could take to the skies alongside Archer once more. “This is your stop my friend!” He yelled out as someone jumped out of the moving chariot and onto the murky shore.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Landing, Lancelot slowly dropped Kariya from his back drawing </span>
  <span>Arondight</span>
  <span>, the pristine blade having a heavy contrast with the </span>
  <span>surrounding</span>
  <span> dreary shore. “Master you should find somewhere safe to go, it’s going to get messy here.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Kairya</span>
  <span> nodded in agreement. “You better not lose to this thing, as your master I order you to not lose.” Even if he did not actual use a command seal, he could imagine his servant’s smile behind his mask. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes master, I will not fall here. Now go.” Hearing his servant’s promise, Kariya begun running to where the other masters were. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Now with that out of the way, the other thing he had to address</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“...Is that you...Lancelot?” He swiveled his head to see his king looking at his form with familiarity and shock. Without the black smoke that had covered his body, his armor was easily recogniable to any that knew him.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Silence filled the battlefield as two just stared at each other with uncertainty. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>One looked at the other with anxiety and hope for redemption</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The other was filled with shock and dread at the state of someone that she regarded as her brother.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“...My king it is good to see you.” Lancelot finally broke the silence between them and bowed in customary greeting.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Artoria</span>
  <span> did not how to respond, everything seemed to be spiraling out of control so fast. “Lancelot I-” She tried to say something to her knight but was interrupted by an angry shriek.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>From the smoke the Orphan of Kos stomped out before letting loose another shriek of anger. The Great One gazed up into the murky clouds to where it could see the faint outlines of the Gordius Wheel and Vimana, snarling at its flying opponents.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“We must talk about this another time my king. Now we must focus at the task at hand!” The Knight of the Lake held </span>
  <span>Arondight</span>
  <span> close to him. The servants behind mimicking his actions as well.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>And now instead of three servants fighting the Orphan. It was now the complete six that showed why exactly they had persevered for so long against this </span>
  <span>opponent</span>
  <span>.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Lancelot led the charge, drawing the Orphan’s gaze unto him. With a shriek the Great One smashed its placenta as hard as it could against the steel blade of the </span>
  <span>Arondight</span>
  <span>, hoping to crush the foolish knight. The Berserker grunted at the </span>
  <span>ferocious</span>
  <span> voice that his blade was now clashing against as he held his ground. The tension clashing between the two leaked over onto the shore, cracking the earth beneath them.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“It’ll take more to shatter this!” He yelled as his blade illuminated with a blue glow. With a giant heave he forced the Orphan to lose the stalemate, forcing its placenta weapon upwards.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Now!” He yelled as Diarmuid and </span>
  <span>Artoria</span>
  <span> appeared at his sides, ready to take advantage of the enemy’s loss of guard.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>With one clean sweep, both servants made a clean cut to both of the Orphan’s sides with their respective weapons. Both divine weapons, while not cutting deep to inflict any real damage, still caused some damage that they </span>
  <span>previously could</span>
  <span> not have achieved.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The Orphan was not going to take this injury lightly as it tried to swivel its body to try and grab at least one of the attacking servants. </span>
  <span>However,</span>
  <span> it had to ignore the instinct of revenge as it brought its free hand up to knock out a trio of daggers that an Assassin had thrown at its eyes.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s right over here you big ugly!” An Assassin taunted in hopes of drawing the Great One’s ire. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It paid off as the lumbering giant begun to sprint across the field, screeching whilst dragging its placenta weapon across the ground. It tried crossing the distance in hopes of bringing down the taunting clone with a swift swipe of its weapon.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, forgotten have we mongrel!” But in its anger, it had forgotten that there were still two servants who were currently flying above the battlefield, waiting for their chance to strike. With a triumphant grin Gilgamesh let loose another storm of weaponry from his Gates of Babylon. The </span>
  <span>luminous</span>
  <span> golden portals rained down heavenly judgement upon the Orphan of Kos. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>But yet again the Orphan proved its combat prowess as it had let go of its ire for the Assassin clone for now and focused on dodging the hail of weapons raining down on it. Weaving between the weapons, the Orphan showed no hesitation in its movements, flawlessly moving its body while hitting the ones that it couldn’t dodge with its placenta.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>As the last of Gilgamesh’s attack had ended, the smoke had covered most of the shore. With a smash of its placenta, the Orphan of Kos blew the smoke cover to reveal it standing in a middle of a circle of destroyed weapons, showing slight signs of injury.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Focusing on the flying </span>
  <span>Uruk</span>
  <span> King with one eye, the Great One tensed its body for the next move only to drop it as the clouds begun to rumble with thunder. With its attention lost on the Golden King, it focused its gaze to the cause of the sudden cause of commotion.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>There in the eye of what was the beginning of a very intense thunderstorm was the King of Conquerors in his Gordius Wheel, hovering in place. The clouds rumbled as the Gordius Wheel’s divine lightning spread into the clouds.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You are a God are you not!?” Iskandar brought a javelin and pointed it at the form of the Orphan of Kos. A single lightning bolt hit the spear as it begun to sizzle with the lighting of his chariot. “Then have a taste of what my gods can do!” He yelled before he lifted his spear up. Within an </span>
  <span>instant multiple </span>
  <span>bolts</span>
  <span> of lightning</span>
  <span> begun to strike it. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The steel edge of the lance hummed as it begun to gather the lightning that the chariot was producing. </span>
  <b>
    <span>“This is the wrath of Zeus!”</span>
  </b>
  <span> He roared with his lightning infused spear sparkling, lighting up the murky skies.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>With a mighty heave he threw the lance forward with such strength that it shot forward like a missile through the air. The air rippled as the spear approached its </span>
  <span>target</span>
  <span> with insane speed. The Orphan of Kos blankly stared at the lightning bolt shooting right towards it before calmly dropping its placenta weapon to its side. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Right before the spear impaled it, the Orphan reached up and grabbed it with herculean strength. Lightning sparked across its pale skin as it forced the spear’s momentum to stop, its feet digging into the ground. It roared as it was slightly pushed back before tensing its legs to stop it from flying off the ground.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Gathering its strength, the Orphan slammed the spear down into the ground. The results forced the shore to shake in its wake. The servants and masters braced themselves as the ground shook from Zeus’s lightning. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Heh.” Iskandar laughed as his plan came to </span>
  <span>fruition</span>
  <span>. “It seems that you were right about your little risk, master.” He looked down to see Waver, who was still reeling from the usage of the command seals, shakily smiling at the Orphan of Kos.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah a conventional attack isn’t going to work against him, no servant except Archer could stand alone against him.” Even if his body begged him to rest, he was still needed to win this fight. Everyone else was doing their best so he needed to do his as well.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“But maybe...” He trailed off as he saw the lightning begin to rumble with much more intensity in the clouds. “We could get through this.” He finished before a large bolt of lightning slammed into the Orphan of Kos.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The plan was simple. Have Gilgamesh fire down a barrage so great that not all of it could smashed into dust by the Orphan of Kos. The residual remainders of weapons would litter the Orphan like a circle, acting as a conductor for the lightning so generously provided by Rider.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>And the only thing they needed was a strong enough object that would call forth the lightning required to deal the massive blow.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The Orphan of Kos could not react fast in time before it became enveloped in lightning, shrieking as the weapons scattered across the ground amplified the effect of the lightning bolt. It tried to retreat out of the lightning bolt’s area of effect but soon found itself bombarded by both Archer and Assassin as they forced the being to stay in its electrifying prison.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The Orphan of Kos could only muster one last hateful shriek before the javelin could no longer handle the pressure and exploded, causing the other scattered weapons to create a chain reaction that blew the spot to kingdom come. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The masters who were sitting far away from the fight shielded their eyes as the explosion occurred, many of them grasping onto something from how powerful it was.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I-Is that it?” Question </span>
  <span>Irisviel</span>
  <span> as she stared in awe at how destructive that last attack was. Could it even have survived such an attack in the first place? She looked back at </span>
  <span>Kiritsugu</span>
  <span>, who was still holding Shirou, grasping his Thompson Contender harder than before.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The Magus Killer could not explain it but the moment that the explosion had occurred, the feeling he had experienced in the </span>
  <span>beginning</span>
  
  <span>came back</span>
  <span>, like if he was suddenly drowning and could do nothing about it.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Lancelot looked at the explosion with apprehensiveness. Something felt wrong about this, like if they unknowingly had stepped into some deeper trouble. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Then he felt something hit his helmet with a soft thud. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Then another.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>And soon it became a barrage of it.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Gazing upward to the skies, he brought his armored hand up to catch the droplets of rain that were beginning to intensify with each second. “Oh no.” He thought as the skies begun to darken even further than before, casting the illusion of night over them.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Up in the clouds Iskandar frowned at the sight before him. No longer were the clouds populated by his chariot’s thunder. “It is like the world is now crying.” He observed before forcing the chariot to lower itself below the clouds so that they wouldn’t get hit by the increasing rumbles of thunder.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <span>“Ki-” </span>
  </b>
  <span>A whisper broke through the silence as everyone tried to figure out where it had come from. It was like if someone with their throat sliced up was speaking t</span>
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <span>“Kill.”</span>
  </b>
  <span> The voice repeated once more but got more louder than the last time. The rain and lightning seemingly in tune with the voice as it begun to pour even harder and lightning could be seen dancing across the clouds.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <span>“All of them.” </span>
  </b>
  <span>The voice said before a wave of air blasted the servants on the ground, not strong enough to knock them off their feet but strong enough that they needed to balance themselves. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Excalibur!?” </span>
  <span>Artoria</span>
  <span> cried out in shock as her blade’s divine winds suddenly </span>
  <span>dissipated</span>
  <span> and revealed the blade’s golden glow for all to see. Trying to control the blade’s shaking, she looked to see that Lancelot and Diarmuid trying to calm their respective weapons as well.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <span>“The fiends that dare try to play god...”</span>
  </b>
  <span> The voice grew spiteful as the realization set in on the only person that the speaker could be. Shocked eyes looked at where the Orphan of Kos before the world was consumed by lightning.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <span>“KILL EVERY LAST ONE OF THEM!!” </span>
  </b>
  <span>The voice shrieked before a thunderbolt, one far larger and brighter than Iskandar’s lightning bolt crashed where the Orphan of Kos was. This time the servants had to dig their weapons into the ground since the force was so great that it would’ve knocked them off their feet.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The smoke parted as the Orphan walked out of it, its form undergone some changes. Any damage that it had was healed and its placenta was now more menacing than before. </span>
  <span>Its</span>
  <span> most notable change was having two pale </span>
  <span>butterfly</span>
  <span> like wings that trailed off its back. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>And it looked pissed off.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Shit.” </span>
  <span>Asasko</span>
  <span> summarized for everyone.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Rider yelled before shaking the reins of the chariot as his Gordius Wheel begun its descent to the shore. This time the Orphan did not react as the chariot made its way closer and closer to it. Just as the chariot was about to crash into the Great One, everything changed.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“No fucking way!” Kariya breathed out in shock as his fellow masters mimicked his expression. The servants doing the same as they witnessed the feat in front of them.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The bulls of the Gordius Wheel groaned as the Orphan of Kos had a hand on each of their heads, effectively stopping their charge. Unlike before the Orphan of Kos showed no signs of having any trouble holding the chariot back.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <span>“DIE!”</span>
  </b>
  <span> It shrieked before it begun to lift the bulls by their horns. Iskandar eyes widened in shock as he felt his chariot get lifted off the ground. “Master!” He grabbed Waver and placed him on his shoulder before jumping out.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>As Rider’s feet hit the ground, the Orphan of Kos lifted the bulls, chariot as well, above its head before slamming them down onto the ground with terrifying newfound strength. The bulls groaning one last time before they disappeared, the destroyed chariot disappearing as well.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Mongrel!” The Vimana made its attack run, Gilgamesh scowling as he launched a series of weapons. “You dare!”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The Orphan blankly stared at the approaching weapons before acting. With much more speed and skill than before it begun swatting the weapons out of the sky with its placenta. </span>
  <span>However,</span>
  <span> this time it was going to pay the Archer for all the trouble it had caused him back.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Grabbing the last weapon to be fired at it, it twirled the caught weapon in its hand before throwing it like a frisbee. The sword flew through the air with supreme precision as it hits its target. The sword exploded as it hit one of the Vimana’s wings. The golden ship begun to spiral out of control before without one of its wings.  Gilgamesh clicked his tongue in annoyance before he jumped out of the doomed ship. The Vimana’s golden shine was soon lost as it begun to sink into the murky sea</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Gilgamesh and Iskandar soon joined the remaining servants as they stared at the Orphan of Kos. Sensing their eyes on it, it strained its neck as it looked at them before its mouth morphed into a maniacal grin.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The battle was far from over. </span>
  
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I’m back!(ish). So, this chapter took forever for me to get finished as College reared its ugly head at me. So, this chapter was hella delayed as I focused more on college. Now that I got some time I cranked this chapter out so I can focus more on college; don’t be expecting the same update schedule for now. </p><p>I tried my best in making the Orphan fight part 1 fight as best as I could. Now that it's gone to 2nd phase you know it's going to get good, hopefully. </p><p>That’s all for now. Fav/Follow if you enjoyed it, reviews on what I could do better are deeply appreciated! </p><p>PRAISE THE GOOD BLOOD! </p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. Announcement</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>So this is kinda my fault but I totally forgot to make this announcement on this site, I had done on fanfiction.net. I had done this update on that site when I was in the midst of finals so I totally forgot about you guys so my bad.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>With a heavy heart I have to announce,</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>That this story will be discontinued.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>This decision did not come easily as this story has a very special spot in my heart. This was my first fanfiction and the lessons that I've learned from writing this has stuck with me every time I write a new one. Notice that I did not say discontinued, I hope that one day that I can return to this.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>My reasoning to doing this is because the way that I can see the story ending, my fear is that I will not do it enough justice for all of you that have enjoyed reading this fanfiction. In the beginning I did not think much about it but as I got closer and closer I begun to notice that fighting scenes are not my forte, definitely not something that I enjoyed writing. And the way I planned the remaining story's chapters will have most if not all chapters be primarily fighting. Also that there were too many plot holes that I forgot about and just in the end that it would be a big mess.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Maybe when I have a better grasp on how fight scenes go I will come back to this but as of this update, The Hunt will be discontinued.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Thank you for reading The Hunt.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>But its not the end for this as I had always planned to write another story like this, it just so happens that this new story will replace this story</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>My 'heir' to that story has just been posted, The Hunt: A Nightmare Descends.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Going with a different approach to how The Hunt could've gone.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>So go check it out if you're interested.</strong>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Comment down on anything you think might need improving. Thanks for reading and leave some kudos if you enjoyed it!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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